Ignem Progressionis Infinitum
by TheFrostedFox
Summary: My name is Eon. I was a human before a curse went awry and turned me into a Ninetales hybrid. Now I attend a school with hundred of other hybrids where we learn and train to face a world of hatred. It's practically paradise here, but the threat of the Plasmid Foundation is always lurking in the back of our minds... Pokemon TF, hybrids
1. Chapter 1- A Life Changing Experience

Chapter 1- Life Changing Experience

Life was normal until my dog got out. After that… well… a lot has happened. Anyway, my beagle was normally confined to the home, but this evening he leapt out the back door off to an adventure. My mom delegated me to cut that short.

Taking a flashlight, I walked out the door, and retreated to the little bit of forest in my backyard. It wasn't a deep, wooded glade, though; I lived in the suburbs, and this was just the few acres of undeveloped land the builders spared. It was nice.

I climbed in and around the foliage, wandering a moonlit path to find little Bosco. I listened and I looked as carefully as I could, but I didn't see him. Now I wasn't using my flashlight, as to avoid alerting him and having him dart off again, so I resorted to the ambient light around me. Eventually, I heard some leaves rustling and a nose sniffing.

"Bosco?" I called. The noise stopped.

Knowing how quick he was, I leapt towards the sound, wrapping my arms around my target. This target, however, was _not_ Bosco. Instead, I collided into a large, furry tail. The owner yelped and scampered off. I quickly shined my flashlight towards the animal, but it was gone. A fox, maybe?

My hand began to itch where I touched the fur, but I shrugged it off as my imagination. No mammal I knew of had irritating fur, and I wasn't allergic, either.

Soon after, I found Bosco. He was curled up, asleep in the foliage. "Hm," I thought aloud. "I wouldn't think you'd come out here just to nap." I picked up the little dog and turned back.

* * *

I learned later what happened to the owner of the tail:

She yanked one of her tails away from him, but it was too late. She felt some of her aura leave the tail and enter the human. Her eyes grew wide.

"No…" she whispered. "Aw, crap…" Using her keen smell, she tracked the boy she had cursed.

* * *

I was suddenly exhausted. Staying up late had its effect, but this was different. I felt like I had just run the 5K our town held each year in an instant. Now gasping for breath, I stumbled into my house, practically dropping Bosco to the floor. My mom was waiting by the door.

"Lotus? You okay?" she asked.

"Just… more… tired… than I thought…" I responded between breaths. "I'm… just gonna go to bed now…"

After extricating myself from most of my clothes, I dragged myself into bed. My hand was now itching like crazy, and I felt really warm inside, as if I had been in the sun and not the moon.

Despite how exhausted I felt, I just couldn't sleep. The itch began to spread, covering my arm and migrating increasingly fast. Soon my whole body felt like it was covered in little ants, gnawing at my skin. I scratched my hand, only to feel a strange softness. _Wait…_ I thought. _Is this… fur?!_ My breathing, as ragged as it was, sped up. _What's happening to me?!_

The pain intensified. Not only was my skin itching and growing silvery fur, but the effects spread inside my body, too. My body heat slowly rose. My insides tingled, and I felt an energy tear apart my body and rebuilding it, turning it into something new. Then I felt my skull crack. Paralyzed from pain, I tried to scream, but I couldn't.

In the background, I heard my mother knock.

"Lotus? You don't sound too good." I couldn't respond with the changes happening to my face, but I heard another, softer voice.

"Sleep," is all it said. The door opened and closed again.

My face underwent the most dramatic change- my nose pushed outward, pulling my jaw into a vulpine muzzle. My hair grew incredibly fast, creating a mane that fell down past my shoulders to my back, and a thick layer of fur coated my shoulders and chest. My ears migrated to the top of my head, turning triangular and becoming more fox-like. I felt my eyes burn. Though I couldn't see it then, the irises had turned a golden yellow. I didn't think like my body could stand such a high temperature, but it did. My body temperature continued to soar, well past any survivable fever. Finally, down at the base of my spine, I felt more bones grow. I felt them branching and growing out, forming not one tail, but _nine_, sprouting out of my backside like weeds. Here the fur was thickest, and it quickly coated each of my tails in luxurious softness, each ending in a blue tip. My feet became paws, stretching the bones such that I stood digitigrade on three blue, clawed toes, and my now furry hands lost their nails, dropping off like bark off a pine tree. Finally, the transformation stopped.

My body still was seething hot, yet… pleasantly so. It kinda felt like a sauna. As my breathing slowed, I opened my eyes, only to lock with the eyes of a fox.

I yelped in a surprisingly animal way, but those red eyes continued to stare at me, looking almost concerned. Recomposing myself, I looked again at the fox. Beyond the face, I saw not a quadruped canine, but a… human one? She was coated in golden-white fur ending in red paws and tail tips, yet she wore a white T-shirt and jean shorts. Out of her back came nine flowing tails that arched over her as she knelt at my bed. Actually, she and I looked quite similar.

"How do you feel?" she spoke softly, with a note of concern.

"What just happened to me…?" I asked, looking at my new, silvery fur and blue paws or hands or whatever you'd call them now. The fox-girl's ears fell, and she looked down.

"I cursed you. I'm sorry."

"You what?!"

"It's part of my gift. When someone touches my tails, I can curse them, sometimes by turning them into an animal. I didn't do this on purpose; you responded so well to my aura that I didn't have to think about it. It's almost like you were meant to be a Ninetales."

"What's a Ninetales…?"

"Oh. That's the name I gave my unique hybrid species. You've heard of hybrids, right?"

"The people with the rare genetic mutations? Yeah." I jolted. "I'm a hybrid now!"

She whimpered like a dog. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to! Here-let me try to change you back." She reluctantly swished her tails towards me. "Hold one of them," she instructed. I complied, and she shuddered. She pulled her pointed ears back against her head. "Sorry, I _hate _it when people touch my tails. Hence the curses." She closed her eyes. We waited in tense silence. Nothing happened.

"Well?" I probed. With my enhanced hearing, I heard her heart rate increase.

"Wh-what?!" She exclaimed, surprised. "Why aren't you back to normal?"

I looked over my furry body again, crestfallen. "You said you didn't try to curse me. Maybe that has something to do with it…" I sighed. "So am I stuck like this…?"

She whimpered. "Yes… I'm so sorry…" The Ninetales smiled a little. "Though you'll probably find that being a hybrid's a lot better than you think."

I smiled bitterly, which felt weird with a muzzle. "Is that so?" I asked.

She beamed. "For one, you can breathe fire." She blew a little flame out of her mouth, then moved it through the air with her hand like a Jedi.

My yellow eyes widened. "Really?" I exclaimed.

"Oh, don't try that!" She yelped as I took a breath. "It takes a lot of control. You might burn down your house!"

"Oh. Can you teach me, then? I've only been a hybrid for two minutes or so."

"Maybe later. Other benefits of being a Ninetales include immunity to fire, and greater overall strength and endurance. And, you know, the whole curse thing. I should really make a brochure or something..."

I thought over what being a hybrid implied. "Yeah, I could get used to this…"

Her eyes widened, then she grinned. "Actually…" She closed her eyes.

I sat on my bed, wondering what she meant. As I waited, I found that my new tails had fallen into a fan-like shape behind me, each one folded over and lifted vertically against my back. Nothing happened, so I stood up, intending to pace. Instead, I just fell over. Guess walking on paws will take a little practice, especially now that I have to manage nine tails, too. I struggled to my paws again, and this time managed to stand and walk without much trouble, only a few stumbles.

A bright flash suddenly shone in my room. I spun around a little too fast and fell over. "Gah! Stupid paws!" I yelled. A high-pitched, melodious laughter filled the room.

"Aww, the poor _teenager_ can't remember how to walk," a voice jeered, though not nearly as mean as you'd expect. Still, it stung.

"Hey, now, Matthew," the Ninetales hybrid chided. "He's only been a hybrid for a few minutes." Laughter filled the room. I looked up. A pink, cat-like hybrid looked down, right in front of my face. His muzzle was short and rounded, and his long, thin tail ended in a larger tip. I yelped in that animal way and scrambled to my feet. The cat, Matthew was floating. He laughed again. "Priceless!" Matthew said. "Absolutely priceless! I'm Matthew, a Mew. I see you had a bit of an incident with Kyu, here." Kyu. What a pretty name. I smiled. You really can't help but smile when you see Matthew. He's so bright and cheery.

"I'm…" Lotus, I was about to say. But that suddenly felt so _wrong_. Instead, another name came to mind. "…Eon." I said after a moment. Matthew giggled.

"Nice to meet ya, Eon!"

Kyu walked next to me. She was so much better at that. Odd, to be jealous of someone's ability to _walk_. "I brought Matthew here because I'd like to bring you to the school I attend, made exclusively for hybrids. He can teleport, as you've seen."

"Wait, you mean now?" I questioned. "Where is it?"

Matthew created a pink bubble out of nothing and pawed it with, well, his hind paws. "Oh, not too far. Just in Minnesota." We were in suburban Georgia. I smiled.

"Dang…" I turned to Kyu. "Can we teleport?"

Kyu shook her head. "No, only a few Psychics can teleport. There are a few Psychic things we can do, though. I put your mother to sleep so she wouldn't disturb us, for example. Also, I found your dog. I was _going _to return it, but then you touched my tail, so… yeah."

"Hey! Is he hurt?" I asked.

"Of course not! Just asleep."

"Good. Wait- how did you get all the way here without teleporting?!"

"Ah… You see, Matthew brought me here. Some of the students are playing Hide-and-Seek tonight. Our boundaries were the entire country." She preempted my question. "With Psychics, it's doable. Each team has them- some teleport the players, others sense their location. The rest of us use our own powers to directly hunt them down, or, of course, run like heck." She laughed.

Matthew's bubble burst. "Hey! Are we going, or what?!"

I looked down. "Um… I don't want to go yet. I have family and friends here, so I'd like to say goodbye and all that."

Kyu looked at me. "Okay. But do know, they may reject you. You're different now. To them, you're a freak." She suddenly hugged me, wrapping me in her tails. "It happened to me. But you'll never be a freak to us."

Matthew interjected, "No, I think that you're definitely a freak. But so am I, so it's cool."

Kyu chuckled as we separated. "Just ignore him, he's weird."

"I am NOT!"

I joined in. "You just said you were a freak."

This left the Mew speechless. He then fell over in the air floating on his back as he burst into that melodious laughter. His long, thin tail nearly hit me as it swung. "Touché, good sir! Touché!"

"I'll check up on you tomorrow. Good luck!" Kyu said. I waved goodbye as the two teleported away in a flash of light.

My mother opened the door, then fainted again.

* * *

Author's Note: My first story that I really cared about. This was based off of an old series called "Hybrid Theory" by shadowlugia249. I loved the idea so much, but he never went anywhere with it. Using roughly the same world, I'm continuing the adventure with new characters and a new plot. So... I guess you could say this is a fanfic of a fanfic! ^_^'


	2. Chapter 2- Accidental Arson

Chapter 2- Accidental Arson

The next day, I explained everything to her. I wasn't wearing a shirt, nor would I ever be able to comfortably because my shoulder fur was so thick. She brightened when she heard I liked it. "Well, that's good, at least. I'm so happy for you!"

"Even though I look like this?"

She smiled. "Even though you look like that. Honestly, I think it suits you."

Moms are awesome.

By contrast, school was utter heck. I was nervous, holding one of my tails as I stepped onto the bus. It turns out, it wasn't as bad as I thought. It was much worse. Aside from the occasional scream, evil eye, and gossip that flourished about me, I was completely ignored. At school, everyone gave me a wide berth. Finally, I saw my friend Abraham. We went way back. Nevertheless, he grew very frightened as I approached. I smiled a little. "Hi, Abraham." My voice had not changed.

"Lotus…?" He asked, dumbfounded.

"I go by Eon now." He didn't say anything.

"What? Is it the ears? The muzzle? The tails?" Suddenly, I felt someone yank one of my fluffy tails. Still bad at keeping my balance, I fell and scrambled to my feet again. I faced my assailant, a smirking junior a good six inches taller. By comparison, I was a sophomore. I growled low in my throat. For some reason, I was livid. He had touched my tails. He had _violated_ my personal space! _Nobody_ touches my tails unless I say so!

"What?" the junior jeered. "Did I make the little freak angry?" A crowd began to form.

I growled louder. He laughed at me. I stared him down, and his shirt smoldered. He stopped laughing as he looked down and saw his shirt catch fire. Screaming, he fell to the ground, trying to put it out. I myself was surprised, and tried to apologize once he stood again. He looked at me, scared and angry, a large black hole in his shirt. "Freak! Arsonist!" he yelled. The crowd joined in, insulting me. My tails drooped. I turned back to Abraham. His brown face had noticeably paled, and his breathing was slight. He was scared out of his mind.

"What? We're still friends, right? Really, that was just an accident!"

He stammered. "You… y-you set him on fire! With your mind! How was that an accident?!" He ran away. Alone, I was trapped by the congregation. Their words bombarded me, ruining my mood even more. My enhanced hearing didn't help much, either. I fell to the ground and curled up, trying to hide in my tails. The jeers continued.

"What's going on, here?" A adult voice shouted.

"He set a kid on fire, sir" a student replied.

I peeked out from between my tails. The principal looked down at me. "Is this true?" he asked.

"Yes," I whispered back.

"Come with me," he said. I stood, only to be mocked more. "AND SHUT UP!" He yelled. They quieted down.

We retreated to his office. "What happened?" He asked sternly.

"He grabbed one of my tails."

"So you set him on fire?!"

"It was an accident! I didn't mean to! …You're taking my appearance rather well."

"I have a cousin who's a hybrid. I know how it is. What's your name?"

"Eon- I mean, Lotus Kelvin. I go by Eon."

He pulled up my information on his computer, and his eyebrows rose. "It doesn't say you're a hybrid."

"I became one last night."

"What?"

"I was cursed by another hybrid- not on purpose though."

"...I'm not even gonna ask…" He looked at my records. "You do remarkably well in school. Do you intend to stay here?"

"No, sir. The hybrid I met told me about a school I can go to for hybrids. I don't think I'm welcome here anyway."

He laughed silently, wistfully. "Let me tell you something. My cousin and I were very close. Everybody except me despised him growing up. They would always try to startle him and get him to curl up into a ball- he's a Sandslash, by the way." He showed me a picture of a teen with dark brown spikes all down his back, thick, white claws, and sand-colored fur. He kind of looked like a porcupine made of rock. He looked at me deeply. "Seeing you curled up on the ground reminded me so much of him. He pondered for a moment. "Are you referring to Johiko's School for the Gifted?". This must have been the school Kyu was referring to. I nodded. "My cousin ended up going there. He says he loves it. Until then, good luck today!"

"Thank you, sir."

"I'll warn your teachers." The bell rang. "You should probably hurry!"

I braced myself for a day of torture. Word of my powers spread quickly, and people tried to avoid me whenever possible. The adults, at least, were somewhat tolerant. Still, people made a habit of irritating me. Whenever it got too much, I would focus on them and singe them a little. Oh, they always tried to call me out on it, but they could never prove it. Besides, I was going to leave anyway, so might as well have some fun. What stung the most though, was that Abraham avoided me at all costs. After all this time, he just abandoned me.

* * *

When I returned home, a man was waiting for me in my living room. My mom introduced him. "Eon? This is Dr. Jarred, from the Plasmid Foundation. He's trying to research hybrids and the powers they have."

Dr. Jarred stepped in. "I heard about you from various social media sites. As much as they feared you, your peers certainly gave you a lot of coverage. Anyway, I am trying to spread awareness of hybrids and how they live, as well as learn more about for all to profit from." His eyes sparkled. "Think about it. You have abilities others can only dream of! If we can figure out how they work, we can make new technology that we haven't even imagined possible! Please, I really need your help!"

I frowned. "How do I know I can trust you? What if you're some news reporter in disguise or something?"

"Ah, right." He handed me some papers. "Here are some notes and other information, as well as my credentials. Also, I made a TV appearance a few weeks ago. It's on YouTube if you want to watch it."

He was valid. "Well, sir, it was nice to meet you. I would love to help further your purpose. What can I do to help?"

He handed me a business card. "Come to my lab on Saturday. I'll run a few tests and we'll see where that goes." Seeing my mom's expression, he added, "Don't worry ma'am, these tests are completely humane and safe. You have no need to worry." He walked out the door.

"Well, isn't that wonderful? He wants to help you and other hybrids!" Mom exclaimed.

"Yeah. This'll be awesome!" I replied.

A bright flash enveloped the room. Kyu, Matthew, and another man were standing in the room. My mom fell back in shock.

Matthew wasted no time. "Hiya, Eon's mom!"

She responded quietly, " H-hello… My… my name's Sharon. Who are you three?"

The man spoke, "My apologies. This is Kyu, the hybrid who transformed your son."

Kyu waved shyly. "Sorry about knocking you out the other day." My mom waved it off.

The man continued. "You've just met Matthew, another hybrid, and I am Johiko Darck. We'd like to invite your son to my boarding school: Johiko's School for the Gifted. It is entirely free, and exclusively populated with hybrids."

I jumped in. "Exclusively? What about you?"

Johiko smiled. A bright light enveloped him for a moment, and he had changed completely. He was completely covered in smooth light-gray skin, and he had ten red rectangular spikes sticking out of his back, along with two wings, which appeared to be made of just five "feathers" which were coated in the same gray skin. His eyes were partially obscured by a red mask, and a small beak jutted out beneath it. He stood digitigrade like me, but he had no apparent paw pads or fur. A large, powerful tail trailed behind him, along with two spikes near its tip. _I didn't want to completely overwhelm you at first, but yes. I am a Lugia,_ he said using telepathy. After meeting Matthew, I wasn't surprised at all this.

Speaking of Matthew, he saw the business card in my hand and took it using telekinesis. He read it and hissed in a distinctly feline way. "The Plasmid Foundation?! Why do you have a business card from the Plasmid Foundation?!"

I hesitated. "Dr. Jarred gave it-"

Johiko growled. "Never associate with him."

I curled my tails around me. "I… just talked with him. We agreed to meet on Saturday. Is that bad?"

Johiko sighed. "He is trying to control an army of hybrids. He doesn't want to help them- he wants to take control of them and abuse their powers to conquer the world. He already has the technology- he just needs the hybrids themselves." He looked at me and Mom. "You two are now in danger. Ms. Kelvin, Lotus, you must come with us."

My mom stood her ground. "Why should we trust you? Just because you are a hybrid doesn't mean you won't hurt us!"

Johiko met her gaze. His eyes glowed, and our surroundings appeared to change.

He showed us a vision of a laboratory, where a sign on the wall labeled it "The Plasmid Foundation: Containment Cell 05". In the room were three capsules, in which three horribly beaten hybrids were suspended in a green liquid. I was horrified. Each of the hybrids had a metal collar on. Darck spoke in my mind. _They would put that on you the moment you stepped in their lab. The collar is designed to control hybrids. You must trust me. The Plasmid Foundation is evil. Let me protect you. _I weighed my options. I could trust Dr. Jarred, and risk this, or I could go with a hybrid that Kyu, Matthew, and the principal's cousin trusted. I found myself trusting the Lugia more. Besides, if he wanted to he could have already taken me, what with his psychic powers and all. I agreed, as did my mother. We teleported again.


	3. Chapter 3- New Hybrid on Campus

Chapter 3- New Hybrid on Campus

We were in a large, beautiful campus. Trees lined all of the grey stone walkways, and flowers dotted the area. A girl with long green hair and pale skin was watering some of the flowers. Matthew soon appeared next to us with Mom and Kyu.

Matthew floated next to me. "Dr. Jarred's going to be very angry to have let a hybrid slip through his fingers. He's might do something rash."

"Indeed," Johiko added. "Ms. Kelvin, I am going to put you under our protection. Otherwise, Jarred might use you against Eon."

Shaking, she nodded. Johiko gestured forward. "Come this way. Kyu, give Eon some orientation."

The golden-furred girl nodded. "Right. Come on."

Matthew teleported in front of her. "Ooh! Can I come, too?"

Kyu chuckled as she nodded. Matthew gave a little cheer as she led the way. As we passed the green-haired girl, I noticed two flowers growing in her hair, right behind her ears. "Hello, Shay!" Kyu called.

Shay turned and smiled shyly. "Hi, Kyu," she whispered before returning to the flowers.

"That's Shay. She's a student here, but she also is one of our gardeners. As you saw, she's more comfortable around plants than people." We entered the main building. Another young pink cat hybrid sat at the front desk typing on a computer. Unlike Matthew, she wasn't floating, and her ears were a lot bigger and fluffier. She also had a red gem inset in her forehead. A name plate on her desk simply labeled her "Espy."

"Name?" She said, turning her purple eyes to me.

"I'm-" I began, but she interrupted.

"Age?" Again I began to speak, but she said, "Date of Birth?" before I could start.

Confused, I tried to ask-

"I'm a Psychic-Type, dear, I know what you're about to do. Please, let me finish registering you."

She prompted me with more questions, answering them faster than I could. She also took my picture and fingerprints. After a while, she handed me an ID card with my name and face printed on it. "You are now officially registered in Johiko's School for the Gifted." I looked at the card. It had a flame in the background, signifying me as a Fire-type. It also had some basic information on me, like my birthday and hometown.

"Are we finally done?" Matthew asked. "Oh, thank goodness!" He popped the large bubble he was playing with, and together we continued. Down the lavish, wood hallway was the cafeteria. Though, it wasn't as much of a cafeteria as it was a huge all-you-can-eat buffet restaurant. Behind the counters were various hybrids preparing for the impending dinner rush, which happened to be in half an hour.

A young, tan-furred hybrid was behind one of the salad bar, using his powers to grow fresh vegetables on the spot as he expertly cut up salads. He had enormous, green, leaf-shaped ears, and a leaf-like tail wagged behind him. With a little prompting from Kyu, he discussed the food here.

"A lot of this is grown on campus." He laughed. "I grow mine right here. I'm Bracken, by the way. I'm a Leafeon. Breakfast is from 7 to 10, lunch from 12 to 3, and dinner from 5 to 8. It's nice to meet you!"

He continued preparing enormous salad bowls as we left.

"Let's see if we can't get you a place to stay here," Kyu commented.

"Sorry, my place is full," Matthew pointed out. "Me and Vee take up enough room already."

"Hm. I can imagine," I replied. We exited the building and crossed the campus to the boy's dormitory, which looked like a large hotel. I'm pretty sure most dorms don't resemble a high-class, 5-star hotel, but there it was, entirely free. Inside we were greeted by a grey-furred, incredibly fluffy hybrid named Cincci. He had a "scarf" made of white fur, and two more trails of white fur grew behind his large ears. His muzzle was short and mouse-like. He ran about, dusting and cleaning the already immaculate lobby with his puffy, equally white tail. Once he noticed us, he stopped. "Hey, I don't recognize you. Are you new here?"

"Yes," I said. "Is there a room open?"

He stepped behind a desk. "Yeah. ID Card, please. I handed him my card, and he swiped it into the computer. "…Okay. You'll share a room with Flare, a Fire-type like yourself. Also, your room and your roommate are fire-proof, so don't hesitate to… let off some steam if you have to." He looked at me pleadingly. "Just please, for the love of all things sacred, clean up after yourself! I'm tired of clearing out soot!" I was surprised by his emphasis. I've never met a guy who was such a neat-freak. He handed me my ID card and returned to tidying.

"Where to next, Kyu?" I asked. A bell rang in the distance.

Matthew did a flip in the air. "Dinnertime!" He soared just above the ground towards the main building, and Kyu and I followed. I discovered that I was significantly quicker now that I got used to my paws, and I was now faster than any human sprinter. Even then, our pace felt leisurely, like a light jog. Various other hybrids also flowed into the building, some of them flying or teleporting.

I spotted Bracken lounging on a bench right outside, muching on a large, undressed salad. "Hey, Bracken," I said, "aren't you supposed to be working?" He gestured lazily to the salad bar, where a green blur appeared to be preparing and serving Bracken's salads with incredible speed.

"Scep's got it," he said, and he continued eating.

Curious, I approached. Almost immediately, a tall, reptilian hybrid with a large, leafy tail and a red underbelly was standing before me. "I don't think you want any of this," he said, "You're obviously a canine hybrid, right?"

I hesitated for a moment, remembering that I was, in fact, a canine now. I nodded.

Scep smiled a little. "Canines and salads normally don't mix well."

He left as soon as he appeared, flitting between salads to keep them stocked and dressed.

"Eon! Over here," Kyu called. I saw her by a huge grill being managed by several Fire-types. As I approached, she explained, "You can get your meat cooked here, or you can cook it yourself on this grill, or, you know, just eat it raw." She forked a bloody slab of beef off her plate and took a bite out of to demonstrate, eliciting a disgusted look from me. She swallowed and added, "No, really, try it! You're a Ninetales, remember?" She grabbed a plate and a raw steak and handed it to me, and we sat down at a table. Her many tails wagged as she watched me expectantly with those beautiful, big red eyes. My ears flattened as I regarded the meat, but once the smell hit my nostrils, my tails began wagging on their own. Overcome by instinct, I dropped my face right into the plate, biting into the surprisingly delicious meat. Kyu giggled. "Told ya. Although… you might want to wash off your muzzle." I tried to look down, but I couldn't see the blood. Apparently, my efforts were hilarious, because Kyu began to laugh. It was such a pretty laugh, and I couldn't help but join in.

Matthew teleported next to us. "I heard laughter! What did I miss?" He noticed my plate. "Oh! You made him eat raw meat?" He turned to me. "Good, right?" He teleported away again, and returned with a bowl of… cat food? "Here," he offered. "This stuff is AMAZING." I looked at Kyu, who giggled.

"It is pretty good," she advocated. Knowing how the meat went, I wiped off what blood I could on a napkin, then licked up some of the kibble.

"This is so weird," I commented. "I never thought I'd want to eat cat food and raw meat, but… it tastes great!"

Matthew laughed his melodious laugh. "Being a hybrid's the best, right?" I smiled.

Kyu touched her nose. "Trust your instincts. You'd be surprised what you'll like!" I ended up just getting a bowl of cat food and a large dog bone. What can I say? That stuff tastes great.

"To think," I said later, "that just yesterday I was a regular, everyday human

"And now, you're a hybrid who can eat cat food! Woo-hoo!"

"Only you could be excited about cat food."

Matthew looked puzzled. "What's not to get excited about?"

"Tell me- what doesn't excite you?"

Matthew opened his mouth and closed it again, deep in thought. I swished my tails triumphantly and pointed my nose up. "Just as I thought. You just love everything."

Matthew giggled at that. "I guess I do. I love having fun!" He materialized a few pink bubbles and pawed them playfully.

Kyu raised her glass, which was filled with Coke. "Cheers for being hybrids!" We all hurrahed as Matthew caused bubbles to rain down on us. Inside, I was surprised how much at home I felt. I readily accepted my new identity, as well as the new life it brought. Power over fire didn't hurt either.

* * *

Author's Note: For reference, the story on which this is based effectively cuts off a little ways into this chapter.


	4. Chapter 4- Living Arrangements

Chapter 4: Living Arrangements

Dinner ended, and a bell signified the end of the day. Matthew yawned. "It's bedtime. Come on, Eon, let's meet your roommate!" I continued gnawing on my dog bone as we parted ways with Kyu, who left to the girls' dorm, and entered our own amidst a mass of other hybrids. It was remarkable how friendly they all were. I guess at one point they were all outcasts, regarded as freaks by the rest of society. But here, we _belonged_.

"Eon! Are you coming or what?" I jolted back to reality as I realized the Mew was far ahead of me in the lavish hallway, floating with his arms crossed and his furry ears flat against his head. "Your room's _right there_! I want to meet Flare!" He was so childish sometimes. Nevertheless, I extracted my ID card from my wallet and swiped it into my door, room 038. Inside was the hybrid Flare at a desk, reading from a tablet. He had red fur across most of his body, including his paws and rabbit-like ears. He had an enormous mane of tan-colored fur around his neck. His tail was similarly fluffy, but nearly as large as the rest of his body. It was shaped almost like a candle flame, which slowly wagged as he read. He didn't notice us at first, too engrossed in his reading. When he finally turned and saw us, he yelped as his mane and tail poofed up, partially obscuring his face.

"S-sorry," he said, flattening down his fur. "This always happens when I get startled. You wouldn't believe the teasing I got in public school…"

"It's all good," I replied. I liked him already. "I set a kid on fire."

"You, too?" Flare was surprised. "Good, I thought I was the only one."

Matthew joined in. "No, actually, a lot of Fire hybrids do that before they come here." He eyed Flare suspiciously. "Have you talked to any other hybrids here?"

Flare's ears fell back. I thought he was blushing, but it was hard to tell under all the red fur. "Not really. I've been too busy studying since I got here. Surely you understand."

Matthew smiled gleefully. "Not at all! I just play all day! Never studied a day in my life!"

Flare's tail fell between his legs. He looked away. "Even here I'm an outcast…"

Matthew hissed like a cat. "Nobody is an outcast! That why this school exists! He set his large, plantigrade paws on the ground, arms crossed in resolution. "From here on out, you are my best buddy forever! Do you understand?"

Flare smiled a little. "No, thanks. I don't think we'll get along too well. I mean, all I can talk about is my studies. Nothing else really interests me."

I tilted my head to one side. "How bad can it be? I love learning."

Flare sighed. "I am currently studying the mechanism by which I can breathe fire." He puffed a little flame for emphasis. "Using MRI scans I have located a unique organ that houses a little flame which actually remains at a constant temperature of 4500 degrees Fahrenheit. With a little conscious effort, I can redirect my breath through this organ, allowing me to breathe fire. However, my current diet simply does not have enough calories to produce and maintain such a hot flame, let alone regular bodily functions. Also, that temperature is hot enough to melt _rock_. There are extremely few organic substances that can withstand such temperatures without immediately vaporizing, but obviously I'm still alive and not on fire. As I am currently incapable of performing a direct study of the organ without dying, I am researching other methods of indirect study."

Matthew fell on his rear. "Dude," he said, laughing, "just call it magic and be done with it! I mean, I can _fly _for Pete's sake, but I'm not running MRI scans."

Flare's tail wagged. "I would! Or, you know, if you're okay with that."

Matthew giggled. "Maybe another time."

I laughed silently. "And I thought _I_ was smart… you just ruined my self-confidence. Congratulations." Flare looked away, one arm on his collar of fur. He was smiling. I extended my hand. "Oh, sorry, I forgot. I'm Eon Kelvin. Nice to meet you."

He shook it. "I'm Flare Lumen. Nice to meet you, too."

With introductions out of the way, I took a look around my new dorm. The walls and most of the decorations were made of exquisitely carved stone, yet the beds were made of… "Cloth? Doesn't cloth burn?" I asked.

Flare's collar of fur puffed up a little. "Oh! It's amazing. They found a way to coat the cloth with a special alloy only a few atoms thick, yet it can completely exclude oxygen from reaching the vulnerable material. The best part is, it's still perfectly soft."

I stared at him for a moment. "Okay, but is it fireproof?"

Flare's purple eyes regarded me quizzically. "Isn't that what I said?"

"Well, you said something about oxygen and whatnot-"

"Which is necessary for combustion to occur: no oxygen, no fire."

Matthew grimaced. "Science is for daytime, okay? I'm going to bed." He teleported out.

Flare and I set up our new living arrangements. He didn't seem to mind having a roommate. Actually, he barely paid me any notice as I put away my stuff (which had been brought here by another hybrid) and curled into bed, wrapping my tails around me. Flare was still reading on his tablet when I fell asleep.

* * *

Flare was still reading when I woke up the next morning. "Dude," I groaned, "do you ever sleep?"

The red hybrid yawned. "What? Oh, no, I just woke up half an hour ago. I just have so much studying to do!"

"Whatever. I'm gonna take a shower."

"Wait; water doesn't hurt?"

"Huh?"

"Oh, you're lucky. Water stings so much when it gets under my collar fur, even if it evaporates immediately."

"I should mention- I've been a hybrid for two days now," Flare's ears perked, but he didn't ask any questions. He understood this wasn't the time for science. I continued, "so I'm still new to all of this. You say water hurts? How do you stay clean, then?"

"Scented fires," he said, as if it was obvious. Seeing my puzzled expression, he waved towards the bathroom. "See for yourself."

I walked in. Instead of a shower were two doors. Flare guided me in the left one. The room was a little small- about the size of a regular shower. The walls were dark with soot. The ground was simply a mound of coal and firewood, and there were large jars of herbs in an alcove. Yet another door led off to the side, presumably the same room the right door led to.

"Fire-types take scented fire baths. The fire burns off any pathogens, and you can mix herbs to have a nice, smoky smell about you. That door," he pointed to the room on the side, "is a fan room for blowing off extra soot. I'm guessing you want that silvery coat to stay silvery, right? Though, you'll probably need to lick off some of it." I looked at him funny. He shrugged and smiled. "It tastes good, at least to me." As he stepped out, he added, "don't forget to turn that nozzle once you're done. It douses the flames so we don't waste wood."

After removing my clothing and setting it outside, I tried to light the fire. Imitating Kyu, I concentrated on my breath, producing a flame. It was much bigger than I expected, and probably would have set the whole building on fire if the room wasn't stone. I saw then why Kyu told me not to try it back at my old home. It required a surprising amount of control. Nevertheless, the charcoal ignited below me, producing a similar smoky aroma to the ones I smelled around Kyu and Flare. But I wanted to be unique in my scent. Hybrids do have a better sense of smelling than humans, so it matters even more in social situations to smell good. Nearly all the hybrids had a distinct aroma or perfume.

My smelling was sensitive enough that I didn't need to open each jar, but just to sniff it. After poking around, I settled on a combination of rosemary and mint. And this wasn't the mint you find in gum or ice cream- this was a sharper, more natural spice that made my ears perk right up when I whiffed it. I dropped in a handful of each herb and stood in the blaze. It felt invigorating to be in fire- not at all painful. I relaxed as the smoke curled around me, delivering the herbal scent into my tails and fur.

Once I was through, I stepped out and turned the nozzle. Vents opened above as water pooled in from the sides, putting out the flames. Curious, I touched the water with a finger. It steamed on my fur, but only felt a little uncomfortable. The discomfort got worse, however, like standing on barely scalding asphalt in summer. I pulled my finger out. As the remainder of the stinging vapor was vented out, I felt much better. I suppose being fireproof does have its downsides.

In the fan room, there was… a fan. A big fan. It was integrated into the floor behind a mesh grid, and the walls were also made of soot-covered stone. It looked kind of like a wind tunnel on its side. On the wall was a pad with a dial that Flare (or possibly Cincci) had kept meticulously clean. I turned the dial a little, and the fan turned on. I adjusted the dial, finding my sweet spot to be at around 40 miles per hour. The wind, although loud, soon stripped me of unsightly ash and made my fur softer and fluffier. As it blew, I licked off the rest of the ash, which I enjoyed, surprisingly. I knew Johiko was rich if he could completely afford this institute, but if he could afford this kind of treatment for _every student_...!

I briefly considered what it would take to earn that kind of cash. Gambling with Psychic powers, perhaps? Nah, too easy. Clairvoyant stock market trades? Enormous inheritance? Maybe he secretly owned Microsoft?! Maybe all of it! I laughed as I considered all that a hybrid like Professor Darck could do, though the rushing fan drowned it out.


	5. Chapter 5- Overpowered Cats

Chapter Five: Overpowered Cats

Once I had dressed in fresh clothes, I exited the bathroom. Flare was gone, probably to his classes. My ears perked. That's right! This is a school, after all! I still have classes! I gathered a few things and stepped out into the hallway, only to realize I had no idea where I was going.

Almost on cue, a fluffy, white-furred hybrid ran up to me. His intense, red eyes regarded me with interest. By contrast, his voice was soft and caring, "I sense you are in a predicament. How may I help you?" Still taken aback by his sudden appearance and curious physiology, which included a blue scythe-like horn or antler thing coming out of the right side of his skull and a blue tail that looked as sharp as a blade, I was temporarily unable to answer. Still taking the initiative, the hybrid sniffed me briefly with his blue, short muzzle, then remarked, "I don't recognize your scent. Are you new here?"

Taking a deep breath in front of the confusing canid, I explained. "Yes, I'm new here. I just wasn't sure what to do for classes, considering I'm not signed up for any yet, and if I am, I have no idea what they are."

He turned and simply said, "Follow me." He jogged briskly to Espy's desk in the main office.

He took a breath, to which Espy replied, "Thank you, I'll take care of it at once."

The white and blue hybrid ran off. Anticipating my question, Espy explained, "That was Hope. He's a lot nicer than he looks, and he loves to help people. He has a bit of a reputation for being able to sense another's pain and avert it, as you saw. Don't depend on it, though- he's not at your beck and call." She entered some information onto her computer. "ID card, please," she requested. I handed her my card, which she used to bring up my records and other info. "Ah, you were quite the student, weren't you? I was beginning to think that Fire-types were all… hot-headed." She giggled at her own joke as my tails fell in a bit of annoyance. Espy continued, "Now, would you like to take the advanced classes like you were before?"

I thought for a moment, and she continued typing. "Good, good, I'm glad you are." I then realized that I had just come to that decision. I lifted my tails back to their fan formation, swelling with pride. She turned back to her computer, the screen reflected in her purple eyes. Soon after, a printer whirred as a sheet of paper rolled out. She handed the paper to me, in which my new classes were detailed. I studied the sheet. To my surprise, all my classes before one PM were normal, but one to five was taken up by "Battle Training." I wasn't sure what to make of this, but I decided to have it be a surprise. I folded it into my pockets.

I turned around. "You're welcome," Espy preempted

I chuckled. "Thanks, Espy," I said anyway.

My first class was Calculus, led by Professor Alak. He was another Psychic-type, with yellow and brown fur, a thin, jagged muzzle with a very prominent yellow moustache, and what appeared to be a brown chestplate on, well, his chest. He taught in a somewhat large classroom- bigger than the ones I was used to in high school, but still smaller than some college classrooms. I walked into a lecture on trigonometry, where I noticed two whiteboard markers floating and calculating on their own as he explained the concept. Without stopping, he spoke directly into my mind, _Welcome, Eon Kelvin. You'll see an empty seat to your right. No, not there. No, just a little to the left… there! Your seat is there. I trust you can pick up where we are now? Good. Now, go sit down._

I was at a table with Matthew and another hybrid- a girl canid with green and yellow fur, who identified herself as Electra. She had a noticeably large horn on her head between two slightly smaller ears, and a little tail jutting out her back. As she listened to the professor, she ran her fingers along a small metal rod, causing sparks to dance across it.

Professor Alak finished his teaching and instructed us to complete a worksheet, which he passed out using telekinesis. I spoke softly to Matthew, "I thought you said you played all day- what are you doing in an advanced Math class?"

Matthew began entering an equation into his calculator. "Playing."

I blinked. "This is a complex and difficult subject…"

He laughed a little. "Great game, right? I especially love the competition we have every few weeks."

"…Do you mean the test?"

His long tail waved rhythmically as he completed more of the worksheet. "That's what he calls it. Doesn't seem like he's really testing me, though. I mean, isn't it obvious that I know all this already? He could just ask me!"

My tails fell in surprise. "So… when you said you never studied…"

The Mew's startlingly blue eyes turned to me. "Why would I lie to you? You're one of my best friends!" I had to smile.

Electra faced me and shrugged. "There's no convincing him. Everything's just a game to him.

Matthew began floating upside down, using telekinesis to write his answers as he hummed a song.

* * *

Author's Note: This chapter's mostly for character development. It'll be relevant later. Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6- The Fire Room

Chapter Six: The Fire Room

The rest of my classes were more or less normal, though Kyu and I shared a chemistry class. (Handling a Bunsen burner is so much easier when you don't have to bother with fire safety.)

The _real_ fun began at one, when my classmates and I went to the Battle Gym. Upon going inside, Kyu guided me once more on the various aspects of the building. "Each one of the eighteen types has its own training room, designed to hone that type's abilities. Here- I'll show you the Fire Room." We walked down a hallway with doors spaced far apart, each designating a different type. Behind the Fighting door I heard the sounds of heavy blows and cracking rocks. Other rooms had their own din- the Water Room sounded like several waterfalls, the Electric Room had the rumbling of thunder, and the Psychic Room had a gentle, pure note resonating from it. By contrast, the Dark Room and Ghost Room were dead silent, which was a little frightening when taken with the names. I was pleased to hear the sound of flame jets and crackling fires behind our door, which was in a little indent. To my surprise, the door was made of unprotected steel painted red. It faintly glowed with intense heat. Kyu opened the door without worry.

I turned to Kyu. "Wouldn't that burn any non-Fire Types who came in?"

She gestured to the room, which had large fires scattered around. The air vibrated with heat. A large thermostat on the wall showed the temperature of the room, which was currently around 300 degrees. She looked back to me. "Wouldn't _that_ burn any non-Fire types who came in? The door is a deterrent so hybrids don't get hurt too bad if they try to come in." We walked in. A tan hybrid suddenly appeared in front of us, as a gust rushed behind him.

"Welcome to the Fire Room I see you met Kyu wow you two look similar are you in a relationship or something anyway I'm Vulcan I'm a Victini I have UNLIMITED POWER! and I love fire and training and such which is why I was put in charge of the Fire Room I also generate a lot of power for the school I'm kinda like a walking or should I say floating battery I'm also a Psychic type by the way which is why I can fly I also can strengthen my friends with a touch so you can train even more I suppose you're not on a team yet what's your name?"

I blinked. Kyu began laughing. "Vulcan, slow down! I told you that you really shouldn't ever have caffeine!"

Vulcan took a deep breath, then exhaled. "Sorry. But Mountain Dew is so tasty! How could I resist?" He had long, bright orange ears and deep blue ears. Tan wings protruded from his lower back as he hovered about a foot above the ground. He has smiling widely. I could see two canines protruding from his mouth. He was also on fire. He continued, "Let me try again. I'm Vulcan. I run the Fire Room. I'm a Victini, Fire and Psychic type. Why do you look so similar?"

I smiled. "Kyu cursed me. I'm very grateful. I'm Eon, by the way."

Vulcan snorted. Then he laughed, falling back in the air quite like Matthew. "Grateful? That's how she seeks revenge! Good for you, though! So, aside from running the Fire Room, I have UNLIMITED POWER!" He waited for my response. I smiled a little as my ears fell back. That sufficed, I guess, because he continued. "In other words, I somehow generate infinite energy in my body, so I never get tired. Here, have a little." He put his orange, furred hand on my shoulder. I felt immediately rejuvenated- any fatigue from my schoolwork earlier was gone. My tails began wagging excitedly. "Great, right? I also help our Electrics power the school, as you can guess. Also, I am physically incapable of losing. I can't lose if I want to. Call it OCD and a ton of luck, but there's no way you can beat me at anything." His eyes glowed an even deeper blue and a couple of dice materialized in his hand. "Here, pick one. We'll both roll, and whoever has a higher roll wins." He rolled a six, and I rolled a three. "See? I'll prove this always happens; let's do this a few more times." He always rolled a six- I never got higher than a four. "So I'm banned from everything competitive in this school. And everywhere else. I do like buying scratch cards, though.

"Here we train for battles. Hybrids here participate in 6-on-6 battles- we train to strengthen our teams. You'll need to join a lacking team, if they want to sign you on. So let's see what you have to offer." He hovered, waiting.

I felt nervous. "I should mention- before I became a Ninetales, I was a human. I know nothing," I admitted. Vulcan's ears fell. "I can breathe fire, I guess. But I think everyone here can. I can almost make fire by concentrating, but that's about it. I don't even know how to curse people."

"I can teach ya that," Kyu interjected.

Vulcan thought to himself. "Breathe some fire. I want to see what I'm working with." I nodded. Taking a breath, I tilted my head upward and released a jet of flame out my muzzle that extended about five feet before dissipating. I raised my tails in a victory stance. "Fine, I guess," Vulcan judged. "But you'll need to get that up to ten feet before anyone will respect you." My tails fell.

"That's enormous! How do you get a fire that big?" I asked in disbelief.

Vulcan gestured to Kyu. She inhaled, then blew out a cone of bright fire that continued for at least fifteen feet before it faded. The energetic hybrid turned back to me. "Like that. Just train for a while- you'll get the hang of it. Here- follow me!" He flew over to a section of the room where pillars of granite stood. "The goal is to melt these columns down to a puddle- this'll improve your ability to maintain a hot fire for a long time."

A thought occurred to me. "Wait, you're saying that I'm training to burn another hybrid in a fire hot enough to melt _rock_? Won't that kill them?!"

Vulcan tilted his head. "No… It takes a ton of physical abuse just to make one of us fall unconscious. Killing a hybrid is nearly impossible." He grinned. "Have you not seen our healing machines?" I shook my head. "In these fights, we burn, we poison, we break bones, we _beat the living tar out of each other_ because it doesn't matter! These devices can fully restore your health, allowing you to fight again and again!"

"Then why aren't these in hospitals? I mean, a full restoration of health in moments? That would be the greatest gift ever to humanity!"

Vulcan looked down. "It… doesn't work…"

"What do you mean?"

"It only works on hybrids- trust me, if it healed humans, we would have given it out years ago. But there's something about hybrids that makes whatever it does work."

"…I feel overpowered."

Vulcan laughed. "Don't forget- we're still more or less hated by seven billion people- a nice trade-off, I'd say." I shrugged. "That's life, I guess," he mused. "Well, go on. Give it a shot!" He encouraged, pointing to a column. I blew a jet a flame towards it, trying to maintain it as long as I can. I found that it didn't seem to rely too much on my lung capacity- the fire just kept coming. After a few moments, though, I began to feel tired. I cut off the flame to see my progress. The granite, though now glowing faintly with heat, remained untouched. My silvery tails drooped. Vulcan energized me with a touch. "Harder than you thought, right?"

I turned to him. "Yeah, wow. I forgot rock doesn't easily melt. Or rather, I never had to think about it."

Vulcan grinned. "Keep at it. This'll keep you occupied for a while."

He raced off, generating a gust of wind with his speed. He flitted with ridiculous speed to different hybrids, coaching them to train better. I returned to the pillar of granite before me. Remembering what I had done in my previous school, I concentrated on setting the rock on fire. Within a moment, the granite erupted in blue flame. I focused as hard as I could, but I couldn't maintain the fire for more than thirty seconds or so. Relaxing, the fire died. I felt the energy it took drain from my body. Suddenly, a column beside me exploded into flames. I could see the edges of the stone liquefy and run down the side. A hybrid walked up beside me. She had long red fur that greatly resembled a robe or dress and large, tan, fennec fox ears with red fur growing from it. Her black, clawed hands held a flaming branch which she inserted into her "sleeve" fur. She walked up to me. "Hey," the vulpine hybrid said. My ears perked. That was a distinctly masculine voice. "I saw your blue fire. Are you a Psychic type, too?"

Confused, I didn't respond. The hybrid's long ears fell. "Let me guess. You thought I was a girl." Slightly embarrassed, I nodded. He sighed. "It's okay. Everyone thinks that because my fur apparently looks like a dress, everyone thinks I must be female. I'm _not_! That's just the way Delphox fur looks! Honestly, I should wear a sign that says 'I'm a freaking guy!' on it. I go by Delphyn."

"Sorry about that. And no, I'm not Psychic. There are a few things I can do, though. I'm a Ninetales like Kyu."

His eyes widened. "Oh, I thought you looked familiar! Yeah, I'm surprised you two aren't Psychics. Also, here's your wallet." He held up my wallet. I slipped a hand into my pocket, which my wallet had vanished from. My ears fell back in slight annoyance. I took my wallet and checked to make sure he hadn't stolen anything, then slipped it back into my jeans. He held up my wallet again.

"How are you doing that?!" I asked, partly irritated and slightly impressed.

"Guess," he said, smiling mischievously as he returned it once more.

"Psychic power?"

"Correct, my friend. Things just end up in my sleeve fur without much effort. I can also see the future."

"You Psychics are even more overpowered…"

"We all have our strengths. I know I can't curse people like you. Be grateful for that."

"I'm… not sure I want to do that. I don't want anyone else ending up like me."

Delphyn extracted his branch and gazed into the flame at the tip. "What happened to you?"

"I became a Ninetales. Kyu's curse went somewhat awry."

"Is that so?" He smiled. "Good job on your trig test."

"That's not until next week."

He returned his branch to his sleeve fur. "I know," he said mysteriously. "Let me help you. You're trying to use your power to will the rock alight. How do you go about it?"

I thought, then responded, "I…just concentrate. I focus everything on the fire I want to make."

"And that's where you messed up." He waved his hand, engulfing his rock in flames. He turned back to me as the fire went out. "You have to _relax_, and empty your mind. My mind's always quiet from years of experience. It helps to meditate and clear out all the inner clutter."

I contemplated his words. "…Okay. I'll try that." I turned back towards the unyielding granite. I tried to still my mind, blocking out any external stimuli. Nevertheless, my newly enhanced senses kept disturbing my efforts."

"Let the thoughts happen, but don't focus on them," Delphyn coached. I implemented his advice. The world became muffled, somehow. Everything was still as sharp and distinct as before, but it ceased to matter. All I really heard was my breathing, in and out. I willed the granite to catch fire. Power began to rush through me. "Don't fight it- let it flow," he instructed. I relaxed even further as energy left my body and became fire. The bright blue flames cast a warm glow on my silvery fur, throwing shadows behind us despite the fires all around. I began to feel drained, and ended the fire. To my delight, the column had softened and fallen in on itself from the heat, although it quickly solidified again. "Well, done," Delphyn complimented. He regarded me with intensity. "I'm trying to assemble a team- I think I'd like you on it. Keep training, and I might invite you on."

I smiled. "I'd love to! I won't let you down!"

He laughed. "Good! I need someone like you. Also, here's your wallet." He tossed it back to me, again. My ears fell back in mock annoyance.

"See ya later!" I called as he left.

I turned back to the granite pillar. It no longer seemed so formidable. I took a deep breath, and engulfed it in flames.

* * *

Author's Note: Introducing Delphyn! No, he is not transgender. Just unlucky.


	7. Chapter 7- Making the Cut

Chapter Seven: Making the Cut. And Laser Beams

My training wasn't all towards my fire power- I also had to do normal training to build physical strength and endurance through more mundane means. Vulcan was an amazing coach- his infinite endurance always gave me something to strive for and improve on. At times he would share his energy so I could continue training for the full time each day, and sometimes longer. I was determined to impress Delphyn and join his team. Delphyn checked in on me occasionally to see how I was doing. Over time I grew stronger- I could maintain my fire longer and more intensely. With work, I reached the goal of a ten-foot flame.

One day, as I headed to the Fire Room, Delphyn teleported beside me. He looked excited- his bushy tail waved excitedly. "Some hybrids can summon weather conditions to empower them- Water types can summon rain, Ice can summon blizzards, and so forth. The sunlight makes us Fire types stronger- can you do that?"

"I'll try- what do I do?"

Delphyn blinked. His tail fell slightly. "I… I don't know. That's why I asked you. Just try." I nodded.

I decided just to will the sun to get stronger. Sure enough, the sunlight turned harsh. The temperature rose significantly, making the early fall day feel like the middle of summer.

Delphyn's eyes widened. "Just like that?! No one I've seen can summon heat that fast! Okay, I've made up my mind- you're in. Follow me!"

I beamed. We ran to a training field, our tails wagging in happiness. There were three other hybrids there already- I recognized Bracken asleep in the sun, but I also saw a brown-furred hybrid with wicked-looking metallic claws and a sharp-looking protrusion on his head. He somewhat resembled a mole, in some sense. Red markings streaked his fur, and his muzzle was white and thin. Beside him was a chicken-like hybrid. This chicken, however look very dangerous. His white feathery hair sharply jutted out into a "V" shape. His white feathers extended down over his shoulders and chest, and red feathers continued below them. His muscular arms and feet ended in grey, hooked talons. His wrists were on fire.

"Guys!" Delphyn called. "I found our 'sunny day'!"

Bracken blinked sleepily. "Huh? Yeah, it's sunny. Great for a nap…" He rested his head against the grass.

The mole hybrid kicked him gently awake with his surprisingly un-clawed foot. "He found someone to summon sunlight! Wake up to greet him!"

Bracken struggled to his feet. His leafy ears perked when he saw me. "Eon! Great to see you, bud! So you're our supporter, eh? Can you do me a favor and summon some sunlight?" I smiled and did so. "Great, now I can take a good nap. Thanks…" He fell asleep only to be kicked awake by the mole again.

"You know we have to train. Do as Delphyn instructs! We will have new techniques to learn to accommodate our new teammate!"

"Thanks, Exca," Delphyn said. "But he can sleep for a little longer. I need to teach Eon the battle rules, first." He turned to me. "In a battle, two 6-hybrid teams compete to win knocking all the opposing hybrids out first. When you fall unconscious, you must sit out the rest of the battle. However, only one of us can fight at a time. You must tag in and out effectively to make the most of our combined strengths. Blaze and Bracken are sweepers- they're fast, powerful, and deadly. They can easily knock out two or three hybrids, though they can't take many hits themelves. Exca specializes in-

"Terrain," Exca interjected. "I can dig and destroy our opponent's side while repairing our own. Many hybrids know how to put up hazards that damage you over time. I take them out and make my own."

Delphyn smiled. "Yes, exactly. Anyway, I can screw with my opponents. You've already seen my talent for pick pocketing, but I can do much more. By focusing on my Seer Branch," he pulled out his flaming branch from his sleeve fur and put it away. "I can magnify my psychic powers, changing small, subtle things that quite literally make my opponent fall flat on their face."

Blaze spoke, "Don't forget Bracken's Solar Beam." His voice was deep and mellow

I snorted. "His what?"

Delphyn nudged him awake. "Hey. Eon wants to see your Solar Beam."

Bracken stretched as he stood. He raised his hands. He began to glow as he accumulated my sunlight, then he thrust his hands forward. Just as Delphyn said, and enormous beam of sunlight erupted from his hands, traveling farther than I could see. My muzzle dropped open. "Pretty good, right?" Bracken asked. I nodded, still stunned.

Delphyn turned back to me. "This is where you come in. All of us except Exca benefit from your sunlight. Not to mention, you can probably deliver a nasty burn, too. Mind fire is pretty good at that. Alright- let's get training. I've come up with some strategies we can use…"

We spent the remainder of the day studying and practicing different scenarios and how to work together. Almost all of them had me going out first and summoning sunlight for Bracken or Blaze to follow up. I was fairly nervous. Our success depended on me to keep up sunlight for as long as possible. I pointed out that we only had 5 members, to which Delphyn replied, "I know, I know, I'm looking. Hopefully I can find one soon. A tournament's coming up. I hope to do well in it with my first team."

"We'll do awesome," I assured him. "I mean, we have freaking laser beams! What could possibly go wrong?"

He thought. "A lot, really. We could be crushed by the first team's wall and be universally mocked by our peers." He saw my look. "What? You asked!"

* * *

Author's note: Yup, I'm basing my battle system somewhat off the competitive meta game, more or less disregarding tier lists.


	8. Chapter 8- Not Psychic, but Close Enough

Chapter Eight- Not Psychic, But Close Enough

"I joined a team!" I exclaimed as I threw open my door. Flare's collar fur exploded once more as I startled him.

"Don't do that! You know I scare easy!"

"Sorry, Flare. Didn't mean to. I'm just so excited!

He flattened his fur. "Whose team did you join?"

"Delphyn, along with Exca, Blaze, and Bracken."

"Hm. About time Bracken joined a team. He's so lazy."

"You know, we need one more hybrid, hint hint."

He smiled sadly. "Sorry. I'm already on a team- not gonna abandon them anytime soon."

I jumped on my bed, my tails wagging as I gnawed on a new bone I got.

"So what do you do on the team?" Flare asked.

I stopped gnawing. "I summon harsh sunlight to power up my teammates. Then Bracken or Blaze can sweep them."

Flare smiled a little. "Already learning the lingo, eh?"

"Yeah," I said. "What do you do?"

"Sweep and burn. I'm also the tactician."

"Wait, really? I didn't think you were the leader type."

"I'm not. Suicuna is. She justs asks for my advice." His eyes grew distant, and he smiled. I tilted my head a little. _Did he have a crush on her?_ I decided not to press the matter. I simply returned to my dog bone.

Flare spoke up, "You know your friend, Matthew?"

I set it down again. "What about him?"

"Remember when he said we were going to be best buddies?"

"Oh, yeah. Wait he wasn't serious, was he?"

Flare looked exasperated. "_He won't leave me alone!_ He's tried to help me with everything I do! Granted, the guy's a genius, but really! Can you ask him to, you know, respect my privacy?"

I was laughing. "Sure, I'll take care of that."

"Thank you," he said emphatically, returning to his studies.

I returned to my bone.

The next day at breakfast, Kyu, Matthew, and I sat at a table, enjoying the food.

"My team tells me to do a lot of funny things," Matthew explained, "like make earthquakes or summon a blizzard. Sidi says I can do anything I want. I guess he's right. All he has to do is have someone explain how to do it and I'll do it!" After seeing his success in math, I was inclined to believe him.

"Can you breathe fire?" I asked.

"You bet!" He replied cheerfully. He raised his head and blew a little flame.

"Electricity?"

Lightning sparked between his hands.

"Ice?"

He handed me a snowball.

"Wow," I commented. "Can you curse people like Kyu?"

His bright, blue eyes dimmed a little. "Umm… no. There are a few things I can't learn. You know how Fire Types are naturally immune to Fire? I'm not. Unless, of course, I transform into one."

"Wait, you can transform, too?"

"Yup! Watch!" His appearance blurred and warped. When it became distinct again, he had taken on the exact form of Flare. Even his voice matched Flare's, though it was much louder and cheerful. "Whaddya think? A perfect duplicate, eh? Wait, I have an idea." He shut his eyes tight and concentrated. Suddenly, his collar fur and tail puffed up, just like Flare's.

I grimaced. "Maybe don't do that. It's not polite." Matthew looked crestfallen as he transformed back into his regular pink cat form.

"I didn't think it'd be mean. I just wanted to make you laugh…"

Kyu put a hand on his shoulder. "Just don't do it at the expense of others, okay?"

He smiled. "Okay!

Kyu turned to me. "Speaking of curses, would you like to learn how? It helps a lot if you can pull it off in the heat of battle." I felt conflicted. What if I forced some into a form they couldn't escape from? I accepted my fate, but others may not be so willing. "The curses don't all transform people. Besides, you're the exception. I've cursed hundreds of people and none of them have lasting effects."

My eyes widened. "Hundreds of people?!"

"Sorry, more like fifty or so. People like to pet my tails. Then they don't like to." She held her tails in her arms jealously. "I only let a few people ever touch my tails." She looked to me. "I'm fine with you petting them, Eon, but no one else. I trust you to know how to treat our tails." She pushed her tails into my arms. A little hesistant, I began stroking them as well as I knew how. I could feel her relax as I pet her. After a little while, she pulled her tails back. "That… was wonderful," she sighed. "I don't remember the last time someone pet me like that."

"Well, you're welcome," I simply said.

She sprang up. "Come on, I'll teach you now, before class. It's not hard." She ran out the door, and I followed. We went into the courtyard I had first arrived in. Shay was still gardening.

A thought occurred to me. "Wait- who'd let me curse them?"

She smiled mischievously. "I would." Without warning, she grabbed one of my tails and bit down, _hard_. I yelped and pulled my tail back. I growled instinctively as Kyu instructed, "Use that anger. I have broken our law and hurt your tail. Channel the energy of the law and inflict retribution on the guilty." I growled lower as my energy corrupted hers, making her weak and tired. She sank to the ground, breathing heavily. "Like… that. Yeah. Good job. Now, when you want to break the curse, touch me with your tails and undo it." I came to my senses. My ears perked as I realized what I did. I swept my tails over her.

"S-sorry, Kyu! I didn't mean to! Honest!" I pleaded.

She recovered back to her paws. "No, you did well. Okay. Try again, but this time, curse me voluntarily. Just brush your tails over me and try to focus the same energy." I hesitated. I didn't like hurting her. "Well," she insisted, "go on!" I grit my teeth and touched her with my tails. I felt something break, like a lock was opened. I used the energy once more to curse her. I went for something different this time, and tried to turn her vision upside down. As I expected, she began stumbling. However, she was also laughing. "What did you do? Why is everything upside down? I have to admit, in a fight I'd be screwed, but right now this is hilarious!" She tripped on a curb and fell. Luckily her fur prevented any scrapes or bruises. I removed the curse. She got back up. "That… was cool. We need to do that again!" A bell rang. "We'd better hurry! See you later!"

Later on that day, Kyu followed me from the Fire Room to the training field, where various teams practiced strategies and occasionally sparred. Delphyn pointed her out. "Hey, Kyu. What brings you here?"

"I wanted to help Eon train. There are a few things I can teach him that would otherwise take him a while to figure out. He doesn't have the benefit of having been a hybrid his whole life." She gestured for me to follow her.

"Woah, woah, woah," Delphyn interjected. "At least let me know what you're teaching him. I don't want him developing any bad habits." Kyu stared at him with an intensity I had rarely seen, his eyes developed a blank glaze, and he meandered back to his teammates. He shook his head and looked back to Kyu, this time not making eye contact. "That's right! The famous 'Ninetales Lockdown Stare!' Seriously, how are you two not Psychic-type?!" He shook with excitement. "Oh, the things I have wanted to do with that gift! Thank you so much, Kyu! "

She swept her mane of yellow hair back, striking a dignified pose. "Just wanted to give you a fighting chance, is all." She winked and strode off with me following close behind.

A little ways off, but still within view of my team, she turned to me. Iimmediately looked down, trying to avoid eye contact. She laughed. "I'm not going to take control of you, I promise!" I returned her gaze. There was no trace of that previous intensity. "Now, the way you take control of others is through the eyes. While not entirely necessary, it certainly makes it easier." She tapped just below her left eye. "The eyes never lie. Remember that. Now, once you get a read on their emotions, you can use those emotions as a foothold into their mind. Just… push into them with those emotions. If done right, something should give way inside them and you should have access to their brain. At this point, they can no longer move. You have locked them. Then you just kinda…" she paused, one hand below her muzzle in thought. "You… oh, how do I say this? You look for their motor controls and hijack their muscles. It's a lot easier just to show you." I blinked. She continued, "Can I try it on you so you can get a feel for it? I promise not to do anything stupid with your body."

My heart quickened. I like being able to use my own muscles, but… if I could learn it, my team would surely benefit. "Okay," I relented. I looked her in the eyes, her beautiful, scarlet eyes… Her gaze broke. It was subtle, but like she said, the eyes never lie. She looked away. "Kyu?" I prompted. "Is there a problem?"

She started, "Nothing, it's nothing. Okay, let me try again." She once more gazed into my eyes. I felt something, like a stream of information traveling between us. I could feel this… presence creeping in. I had just enough time to interpret it as Kyu before my mind went totally blank. It felt like I was in a dream. From some far point, I watched as my body bowed to Kyu before everything came rushing back. Shaking my pelt like a wet dog, I tried to brush off the alien feeling. "Now try to copy that on me," Kyu instructed.

Our eyes met as I tried to read her emotions. What I found surprised me. I saw worry, confusion, denial. This was important. "No really, Kyu, what's the matter?" I could hear her heart speed up.

"I… I-I-I can't say. Find another hybrid to practice on. I have to go. Practice your curses, too!" She ran off, her fluid stride concealing the worry I saw in her. My tails drooped, but I refused to let them drag on the dirty ground. I jogged lightly back to my team. Delphyn ran up to meet me. "So did something happen? I saw Kyu run off." I explained what had happened and relayed Kyu's instructions. "…I see," he commented, deep in thought. "Well, I suppose you can practice on us." We stared at one another. From him I felt excitement, nervousness, and a steadfast determination. He wanted to win this tournament more than anything. From there I pushed… Kyu's right, this is hard to explain. I pushed my… erm… "presence" through his eyes into his brain, looking for the lock to which his emotions were the key. I found it, the one flaw in the closed loop of the nervous system, and focused on his emotions: excitement, nervousness, determination. I was let into his mind. Inside, my psychic presence became a lot less confined. I extended outward, overriding his input. At this point, I had two bodies- one had nine tails and silver fur, the other had a flowing robe of red fur and a smaller yellow tail. Focusing on Delphyn, I attempted to salute myself through him. His hand lazily rose to his forehead in a haphazard salute. It was quite overwhelming, being in two bodies at once. I released my hold on him as we both recovered.

"I must say, that was a lot slower than Kyu's Lockdown Stare." He pumped his fist. "But we're just getting started!"

The rest of my training that day involved me practicing my unique Ninetales abilities. After I had learned my teammates a little too well and permanently instilled fear of my tails, Delphyn deemed them too easy for me. He arranged sparring matches with other teams, mostly trying to get me to practice on a wide variety of hybrids. I noticed that the other team captains looked down on Delphyn. Nobody really respected him besides us. "Why does everybody seem to look down on you?" I finally asked.

"Hm? Oh, that. I, uh, I… I've never won." He smiled shyly and looked down.

My tails swayed in time with my growing anticipation. "But this is your first team, right?" I asked, knowing the answer already.

He began wringing his black-furred hands. "Yes, well, I've been on other teams…"

"And you've always lost?! You're saying I chose the only team captain with a perfect _losing_ streak?!"

He whimpered. "I never told you that, did I? Heh-heh."

"Do the others know?" I asked, my voice cold as an Ice-type.

"They do. I think they've only joined my team out of pity." He sighed. "You can leave if you want… I don't want to force this on you…"

I thought for a moment. I put a hand on his shoulder. "You've never won because nobody has ever believed in you. You've always been cast aside. Then, on a team of effectively five-on-six… um, no offense."

"You're fine."

"So five on six is a lot harder to win." I pumped my fist like he did a moment ago. "But I believe in you. I think your strategies are amazing. If we really try, all of us, I'm sure we'll win."

Delphyn looked up and smiled. "Thanks. You don't know how much that means to me."

"Let's keep training."

* * *

Author's Note: *Ahem* "Ninetales casts a sinister light from its bright red eyes to gain total control over its foe's mind." ~Pokemon Ruby

I hate it when they introduce these neat albeit _useless, _facts. They are useless no longer!


	9. Chapter 9- A Finished Team

Chapter Nine- A Finished Team

Weeks passed by like days. Come late November, and our team was totally prepared, except for one thing. Well, one hybrid, more specifically. We could not find a sixth member. Each one of us scoured the campus, looking for someone who was planning on entering, works well with our team, not already part of a team, and didn't think Delphyn was cursed to lose. Needless to say, no one qualified.

"What the heck are we going to do?!" Delphyn exclaimed, pacing back and forth in front of the sign-up sheets as Bracken, Blaze, Exca and I watched. "Sign-ups close Saturday, which is today! If we can't find an eligible hybrid, we'll lose before we even begin!" He turned to us. "Find somebody, anybody. I don't care who it is. As long as they want to join, they're fine!" My enhanced hearing picked up on his heartbeat, which only grew faster as he rushed off in desperation. We all glanced at each other before going in separate directions. None of us wanted all our hard work to be in vain. I asked every hybrid I passed in the halls to join, sometimes earning dirty looks from those I had asked before. The situation grew increasingly dire as the day waned. Tired and depressed, I sat on a stone bench in the main campus, having just been rejected by Shay. I was about to give up and head back… but then I heard a distantly familiar sound of claws clacking on the concrete. I looked around to find Hope, the fluffy, white furred Absol, standing before me.

"I'll… join…" He whispered. His soft voice seemed strained, as if he was under a lot of pressure. But that wasn't important now. I leapt ten feet straight up into the air (bless my hybrid muscles) and landed clumsily. I stood back up, my nine tails wagging with renewed vigor. Hope smiled a little, but his eyes betrayed a sense of pain. In my excitement, I hardly noticed. Instead I ran off, beckoning for him to follow.

Back at the sign-up desk, Delphyn sat against the wall, looking incredibly depressed. Bracken stood before him "You honestly did not nap?" Delphyn asked his paws.

"I didn't!" Bracken insisted. He looked out a window to the overcast sky with disdain, huge leafy ears twitching lightly. "Besides, it's an awful day for napping."

"Delphyn!" I called. "I found someone!"

"You did?!" He stood straight up, only to clutch his head from getting up too fast. As he finally turned to me, his mouth fell open. "How in the world…" he whispered.

"Hm?"

"How in the world did you convince Hope Tenebrae to fight?" He elaborated, still whispering.

I turned to Hope with an inquisitive look. "I don't like fighting," he explained. "But you need my help. So I'll help."

Bracken was equally surprised. "It not that he just doesn't like fighting, he's quite possibly the most passive and caring hybrid in this school! He shies away from even the slightest hint of anger, unless, of course, he's fixing it."

Delphyn turned to Hope directly, this time serious more than surprised. "Are you sure you can fight? It's going to be brutal, and I won't let you help the opponent until the match is over."

Hope looked directly at him, a look of fear overshadowed by determination firmly affixed on his face. "Yes. I'm sure." His voice, though light, could not hide his resolve.

Delphyn psychically contacted Blaze and Exca, and they soon rushed in, unable to believe the news. Once we had all our paperwork in order, we handed it to Espy, who filed it away. "Good luck, all of you. She stared long at Hope, whose mental response apparently satisfied the pink cat hybrid. "The tournament is in one week. Meet at the central gym at 9 a.m." She shooed us away to return to her work.

Saturday arrived. Emotions were high all throughout the school. Those who competed did last minute warm-ups, while the less combative hybrids chatted about previous highlights and compared teams. After our preparations and review of battle strategy, we walked through a door labeled, "Teams Only."

"Nice place," I commented. It resembled a locker room, but it was far cleaner than any one I had ever set foot it. The floors and walls sparkled; I had a feeling of who might have cleaned it. Nobody respond. The only sound was the gentle _swish-swish_ of our tails. Only Bracken seemed unperturbed. Exca pointed him out, "Are you not nervous, Bracken?"

"Why be nervous? My life will continue regardless. If you took away the sunshine, now, that'd be a different story."

"Yeah, at least you don't have a reputation to clean up," Delphyn muttered, tail between his legs.

Bracken's leafy ears swiveled towards him. "Hmm?"

"Oh, nothing."

We reached to part of the locker room reserved for us. Delphyn reached for envelope on the bench. "It's addressed to you," he said, giving it to me. I opened the envelope. Inside was a hand-written card from my mom:

_Hey, "Eon!" So today's the big day, huh? If Professor Darck hadn't made it perfectly clear you all were safe, there's no way I would have let you compete. Either way, I wish you the best of luck! I'll be up front next to the Professor- you can't miss me!_

_Love you,_

_Mom_

I smiled. I hadn't thought much of my mother since becoming a hybrid, but it was nice to hear from here again. I turned to Delphyn. "It's from my mom," I explained.

Delphyn's ears fell. "Your mom, huh? I never knew my parents. Apparently, they had very traditional beliefs. Once I manifested psychic powers, they declared me a witch and disowned me. Heh. Even they never bothered to check under the fur…"

Hope spoke up for the first time. "Actually, witch is a gender-neutral term referring to someone with pagan beliefs. It has only in popular culture been applied exclusively to females."

"Is that so? Well, I feel a little better knowing that."

Hope smiled. Delphyn reached into his sleeve fur and gave me my card back. "Sorry, nervous," he explained.

We watched on a TV in the locker room the gym light up. It was an enormous, grass-covered outdoor stadium at least five hundred yards across, not counting the stands. I thought back to Exca's training, and decided he could definitely dig up all of it, if necessary. That guy was wicked fast. Thousands of hybrids piled into the stadium, which surprisingly was more than sufficient room.

A bright flash appeared on one end of the stadium. The camera zoomed in on Professor Darck, in his true Lugia form. He opened his beak and let loose a trilling cry that echoed through the stadium. The crowd applauded loudly.

"Welcome to this year's Fall Battle Tournament!" He bellowed into a microphone. "All of our teams have trained for months to prove that they are the strongest hybrids in this school." The crowd cheered for each team as their name was announced. "Now, I have a few opening words. Each one of us, competing or no, is powerful beyond anything seen on this earth. As such, I would take care to remind each and every one of you that such power is to be treated carefully. That is the reason I created this school: to train young hybrids to use their power with precision and care. My goal is that humans can learn to accept us as fellow beings, not hate us as bringers of destruction. It is my belief that with dedication and hard work by our teachers," he raised a wing to indicate them as the stadium roared with a variety of cries, "coaches," gesturing to the 18 type coaches with similar response, "and, of course, our magnificent students," raising the greatest din yet, "we can prove that we are people, too!" He shrugged. "Kinda." The crowded laughed. Professor Darck charged a glowing, green ball of energy in front of his beak. "Let the Fall Battle Tournament begin!" He shouted, causing the orb to stream into a spiral of energy that stretch beyond the clouds. The crowd went wild.

The first match was between the teams Fire Storm and Gaia Force. I recognized Flare on Fire Storm next to a tall, light blue hybrid with a square, canid muzzle and an enormous mane of dark blue hair. Two ribbon like tails flowed behind her. Based on the way they looked at each other, I guessed that was Suicuna. They were spectacular. Suicuna saw the bigger picture while Flare moved the pieces into place, organizing each hybrid to push the situation in their favor. Gaia Force's captain, Flygon, organized his team well, but in the end Flare and Suicuna's synergy toppled them. I watched in awe and fear. No longer was I worried about winning; I just hoped I wouldn't die!

"You'll do spectacular," Hope assured in his whispered voice. "Follow Delphyn's orders- he knows what he's doing."

Our match came next. In my nervous state I noticed every detail, heard every sound, the brush of fur against fur, our heartbeats, our padded footsteps, our breathing, I smelled sweat, adrenaline, hybrids who walked here before, I saw every bit of dirt in Exca's already brown coat, and I felt, more than anything, a sense of excitement. This was the culmination of months of hard work.

"This is it," Delphyn said.

"We will win," Exca added.

"Nothing can stop our might," Blaze assured.

"Just relax," Bracken advised.

I felt prompted to add, "Because have nothing to fear."

"Who are we?" Delphyn questioned.

We responded in unison, "We are the Oracle's Flame!"

* * *

Author's Note: Next chapter's gonna be a doozy. I'll upload it in a few days.


	10. Chapter 10- Unseen Powers

Chapter 10- Unseen Powers

We stepped out into the middle of the stadium. The crowd became almost deafening. I heard Vulcan over a loudspeaker. "That was a spectacular display of power and ingenuity I mean I don't recall ever seeing such perfect communication and coordination as I have today with Fire Storm to say nothing of the literally earth-shaking might of Gaia Force well done both of you!"

Another male voice spoke through the stadium. "To anyone who could not understand Vulcan over his excitement, he said both teams were great!

"Hey! How am I supposed to hold in all this excitement over these amazing displays?! I see you crackling with energy, Amph! Be careful not to short out the machines!"

"You got me there! Either way, up next is the Oracle's Flame versus the Unseen Powers! I swear these names get better every year." He laughed.

Unseen Powers? Isn't that the team with… "Eon!" Matthew shouted as he floated over to greet me. "Now we're opponents, huh? This is gonna be so exciting! I bet you'll get this close," he gestured with two fingers pinched together, "but Sidi says we won't lose, and Sidi's right about a lot of things." I smiled. Even in the heat of battle, Matthew never changes.

Out of nowhere, a black-hybrid with bushy ears, a bushy tail, glowing yellow rings around them, and a similar ring on his forehead, appeared. He nodded to me. "You are Matthew's friend, correct? It's good to meet you. I am Sidi the Umbreon." He turned to Delphyn and shook his hand. "Delphyn," the Umbreon simply said.

"Sidi."

"Best of luck."

"You, too."

Our team followed Delphyn to one side of the arena as Sidi led his team to the other I looked towards the Lugia hybrid, who was conveniently right behind me. Sure enough, my mother was beside him. She waved, blew me a kiss, and mouthed, "Be safe!" A timer ran low on a large screen, which had a headshot of each hybrid and their condition: afflicted, fainted, or healthy. Everything seemed to slow down in those few moments. After an eternity, the timer hit zero as a blue and black-furred hybrid with piercing red eyes blew a whistle. My ears perked.

"Eon, go! Summon sunlight and prepare to fight!"

Vulcan commentated, "First up is a new student, Eon, versus the "queen" of Grass-types, Ivory!"

I leaped into the in-bounds area. Across the stadium, a graceful, slender, light green and white snake-like hybrid strode confidently into the arena. Despite her slim build, she stood at least eight feet tall, not counting her long tail. Raising her hand, she produced a long, thin plant covered in thorns from the ground as I intensified the sun's rays. She looked to me, totally impassive. She walked forward, pulling the now 30-foot vine from the ground and coiling it like a whip. I grew nervous. "Switch out!" Delphyn called. I remembered the Absol's advice and jumped back as Delphyn took my place. He smiled mischievously. His opponent swung the whip high over herself, bringing it down with a loud _crack!_ Cameras captured her graceful movements, projecting onto to the giant screens on each side. Vulcan and Amph kept up a play-by-play.

Delphyn swallowed as she pulled the whip back. She swung it forward, ready to drive the thorns through the Delphox, but he teleported behind her, summoning a spiraling fire from his branch. Without missing a beat, she slid to avoid the inferno and brought the whip back around. Taken aback by her reaction time, Delphyn staggered as the thorny whip cut into his left arm. Blood spilled out, painting the vine, but Delphyn persevered. In fact, the cut wasn't all that deep considering the speed and sharpness of the thorns. Must be hybrid durablilty. They danced in the glaring sun; one striding closer with well timed jumps, slides, and teleports, the other twirling around, trying to maintain her distance while snapping the whip far faster than the human (emphasis on "human") eye could follow. Delphyn faked a slide while teleporting behind her. The Grass-type snake hybrid jumped back, but not before Delphyn worked his magic and stole the whip.

"Incredible!" Amph declared. "The whip just vanished!"

For the first time, Ivory looked slightly perturbed, but soon regained her regal composure. Raising her arms, gigantic vines rose from the ground, wrapping around Delphyn and ripping away sections of fur, leaving patchy areas of raw, bleeding, pink skin. He and his opponent breathed heavily from their acrobatics. Delphyn moved first, reaching into his sleeve fur and pulling out the impossibly long vine whip, setting it ablaze with an eerie blue fire. Mimicking the snake hybrid, he swung the fiery tongue of the whip around, causing it to coil around his foe. He pulled back, forcing the burning thorns deeper into her scales. The crowd roared. Dropping to one knee, the regal snake maintained her constant, aristocratic poise despite her shaking muscles. She began to glow with a soft golden light; similar to the one that Bracken exudes when he fires a solar beam. My muscles tensed, but the effect ended in an anticlimax. Instead, the hybrid rose to her feet, burns and cuts healed by the healing rays of the sun. My sun.

"That's Ivory's Synthesis! A signature of Grass-types, Synthesis uses the sun to restore damage. Nice way to use their opponent's sun-based tactics!" Vulcan lauded.

Delphyn bent his knees, preparing for the next onslaught. He gripped his fiery whip menacingly. Suddenly, she turned around, striding back to the out-of-bounds area as Sidi stepped in. The look of intensity in his eyes could only be compared to a predator about to pounce. The yellow rings on his body glowed as a dark haze covered the arena. All we could see was the fiery blue aura of Delphyn's whip as it flashed and snapped, as well as the dark outline of Sidi as he appeared in frames when his rings glowed. The frequency of the whipping slowed. The spectators stopped cheering in breathless anticipation. I grew nervous in the crushing silence. All I could hear was scuffled footsteps, the occasional crack of a whip, and bursts of flames that were barely noticeable in the overwhelming darkness. Then I heard nothing. The haze cleared with Sidi standing above Delphyn's still body. The lion-like hybrid who blew the whistle raised a flag. The applause was sudden and painfully loud, not to mention painful that it was for my leader's defeat.

"It looks like Delphyn was hit by Sidi's Shadow Hold!" Amph exclaimed.

"You bet he was. It is said that the inside of that fog is so terrifying you can barely think, let alone try to escape! A perfect way to finish off a slippery foe!" Vulcan elaborated.

"I bet I wouldn't be scared."

"I bet you'd pee yourself and short out!"

"Hey! I'm an Ampharos, not a coward."

"I'm kidding, man. I'd be scared, too."

_Eon!_

I recognized the voice. _Delphyn?_

_Heya! I'm unconscious, but that doesn't mean I still can't give orders! Get out there and renew the sun; I'll tell you what to do from there._

I stepped out. Sidi had switched out with a tall, blue and black-furred hybrid. He, however, looked more like a wolf or jackal than a lion. He stood strong, with spikes protruding from his chest and hands. His red eyes glowed with ferocity.

_Alright, here's your chance to prove yourself. This is Lucas, a Lucario. He's really strong and really fast. Keep your distance and use your mind-fueled flames to burn him._

I nodded in agreement. Jumping to the side, I emptied my mind, focusing on nothing while being aware of everything. Just as before, I felt energy flow through me, allowing me to set him ablaze from a distance. The moment the flames ignited, however, he raced forward, faster than any hybrid I have ever seen. A loud _boom _followed suit as he broke the sound barrier. However, I noticed all this in the air, after he uppercut me. I twisted back around to land lightly on my feet.

_Dang it! He's too fast. Switch to Blaze. _Delphyn instructed. I was a little disappointed, but I liked my face the way it was. I'd rather not have it destroyed.

Blaze got the message. Stepping forward as I jumped back, he and Lucas engaged in some of the finest martial artistry I have ever seen. Each attack flowed into the next with perfect grace. Blaze was literally ablaze with fury, using the fire to burn as he fought. Lucas glowed with a strange light. This blue aura spiked with every block and every attack, augmenting Lucas's strength. Suddenly, Lucas jumped back. Summoning an orb of blue light, he hurled it at Blaze. Blaze charged him, enveloping himself in flames. As the sphere approached, he slid under it. Watching from behind, I saw the orb curve back to target Blaze again, but once more he dodged it, jumping high in the air. Lucas took the opportunity of him coming down to deliver a crushing blow to Blaze's chest. Blaze flew backwards, managing to land on his feet just in time. The screens replayed the attack, highlighting each movement to best show off both of them.

To my surprise, neither combatant was exhausted. Blaze opened his beak and let loose a jet of fire, which Lucas jumped over. As he landed, Blaze leaped, delivering a fiery kick square in the stomach, his talons tearing at Lucas's pelt. Lucas doubled over as he fell, landing awkwardly. He struggled to his paws, raising his hands in defense. Blaze took the bait and rushed him, only to have Lucas slide to one side and place his palm on Blaze's back. Before he could react, a blue, ethereal shockwave erupted from Lucas's palm, knocking the fiery avian hybrid to the ground. When he rose, however, I noticed something different, but I soon forgot as Blaze approached the blue-furred hybrid; both rushed each other at the speed I didn't get a chance to see, considering Lucas hit me with it.

This time was no different. By the time they reappeared, or rather, slowed down, Lucas was clutching a severely burned arm. The blue glow surrounding him only intensified, as if being injured broke the seal on some latent strength. Similarly, I realized now that as the battle waged on, Blaze was actually getting _faster_. Fire coiled around his feathers, cauterizing any wounds and burning off the spilled blood. He screeched like an enormous bird of prey, to which Lucas retaliated with an animalistic growl. Both rushed at each other again, each move going to fast for the rest of us to follow. All we could see were two blurs: one red, one blue. The field started to fall apart under them as they kicked up and incinerated the grass and sod. Soon they had cleared out a patch of black earth as a mark of their conflict. While Lucas became stronger from accumulating wounds, Blaze moved faster and faster. Beside me, Hope winced with every blow. Cameras zoomed in on their faces, the most static part of their bodies. A glance at the giant screen showed their determined, fierce expressions. Neither would give up until they collapsed.

Eventually, the debilitating burns caught up with Lucas. He punched, Blaze dodged, and Lucas winced, losing his balance. Before he fell, Blaze's enhanced speed allowed him to hit Lucas hard in the chest with a flaming knee, launching him skyward. Blaze jumped up to him, flipping to execute a merciless kick that launched him to the ground. Even from halfway across the stadium, I could hear a sickening _crack!_ Lucas was gingerly removed from the stadium as the referee hybrid raised a flag. Spectators cheered.

"Now THAT was a display of power! I could feel the punches from up here!" Vulcan summarized.

"They went so fast! I believe… yes, it's confirmed. They broke the sound barrier. Three times. In two minutes." Amph stated.

"Hmm… I have a new goal."

"What would that be, Vulcan?"

"Break the sound barrier _four_ times in two minutes."

"Without your psychic powers?"

"Heck, no!" Both commentators laughed.

In the meantime, Blaze cooled down as Exca stepped forward. His eyes glinted as he faced his next opponent- a wicked-looking beast of a hybrid with metal covering most of his body, including his muzzle, spiked teeth, and lashing tail. His eyes were dark slits hidden behind his natural armor. He was Titan, the Aggron, and he stood over seven feet tall.

Exca was not at all fast on his legs. He's slower than most humans, actually. Yet when he reached up and fit his claws into grooves on the blade above his head, he became a _living drill_. He leaped into the air, rotating to incredible speeds before landing headfirst into the soil. I strained my hearing enough to barely make out a soft rumbling indicative of his terrain manipulation. I noticed the referee staring at the ground, as if he could see Exca digging underground. Later I was informed this was exactly the case- he literally has X-ray viosion, allowing him to see inside a hybrid (...Don't think about that too much...) to check whether or not he or she is unable to continue.

The rumbling intensified. At first I thought Exca was fast approaching, but then I realized that the sound was coming from the earth itself. I looked up to Titan. He let loose a terrifying roar as he caused the ground to tremble and shake. I realized with horror that Exca was still underground, crushed by the roiling dirt and stone. After an agonizing thirty seconds, Titan ending the earthquake. All was still. Titan began to laugh, a low, rough laugh, when suddenly then ground collapsed beneath him. He was up to his shoulders in loose dirt, rendering him immobile. Exca burst from the ground, spinning in the air before landing deftly on his feet. "Did you really think that would work?" He shouted so the audience could hear. "You have forgotten that I, too, am made of steel!" The crowd applauded the skillful trap.

"Woah, did not see that coming!" Vulcan admitted.

"Really? For further reference, most Steel-types are built like tanks: living, breathing tanks that could snap a concrete pillar in half like a KitKat bar.

"…They'd probably eat it like a KitKat bar, too."

Exca burrowed back underground, reappearing out-of-bounds as Bracken stepped in. He walked casually to the imprisoned Aggron. Raising his hand to charge sunlight, he grew two leaves on each of his arms. They must have been incredibly sharp, as he began slicing away at his foe's metallic armor with unprecedented speed. Titan roared in pain. His roars became louder and more agonizing, until at last he unleashed a massive bellow that momentarily hushed the entire stadium. He wrenched himself free, digging with painful-looking clawed hands and swept at Bracken. Bracken, however, was too small and agile to be hit. He danced around the hybrid, taking a slice whenever he could. Even from all the way across the field, I could make out the scars Titan was accumulating on his steel plates… from _leaves. _

For a lazy, leafy Grass-type, Bracken sure moved fast when he felt like it. I noticed a soft glow permeated his fur, which reminded me that Bracken moves faster in bright sunlight. He led Titan around the arena, trapping him in various other pitfalls Exca had created. Each time he fell in a hole the giant screen above the stadium showed a close-up of Exca's victorious expression.

Titan grew more and more enraged with each passing cut, slashing faster and with greater ferocity. At one point, Bracken stumbled. It was only for a moment, but he could not recover in time to avoid a sweeping blow from the steel-plated hybrid's heavy arm. Bracken was knocked flat on his face, giving him barely time to get up on his hands before Titan punched him into the ground. This time, Bracken did not get up. The audience cheered on, chanting "Titan, Titan!" He bellowed in response.

Delphyn contacted me. After renewing the harsh sunlight, Blaze got up, running towards the monstrous hybrid. Despite his fatigue, he ran with remarkable speed, jumping high in the air to kick Titan in the back with a flaming, clawed foot, melting the surrounding metal. Titan reached behind himself and grabbed Blaze by the leg, swinging him into the ground. Blaze did not struggle.

"Titan, two; Blaze and Bracken, zero," Vulcan counted.

Delphyn thought some words I'd rather not repeat. _Shoot, umm…_ I perceived that he was thinking hard. _Ah, how are we going to beat this guy?! He took out our two sweepers!_

"I'll beat him," Hope said. His red eyes were forlorn. He turned to me. "Whatever happens, please, promise me you'll win. You and Exca." I was taken aback by his desperation. "Please!"

"I promise." I said.

"I also promise to win." Exca seconded.

With great effort, he walked up to Titan. The crowd fell into a whisper as Hope took the stage.

The giant of a hybrid smiled. "Never expected to fight you. Just know I'm not holdin' back." I was surprised. I had kinda forgot that this… monster was a hybrid like myself.

Hope struck a battle pose. "I won't hold back. But I will try to make it quick."

Titan laughed his gravelly laugh. "I am the team's wall. I do not go down quick."

"En garde." Hope dodged a swiped of his metallic claws with a jump. He landed on Titan's back, claws glowing with a purple ethereal light. Hope jabbed his claws deep into the weak spot Blaze made. The Aggron fell, unconscious.

"Wait, that's Hope!" Vulcan exclaimed. "Why the heck is he fighting this doesn't make sense I mean I thought he hated fighting oh I'm so confused what happened can some explain this please?"

"Calm down, Vulcan. For those who don't know, Hope is well-known for his extreme empathy. He knows any harm about to befall a person and goes to great lengths to… save them…" Amph fell silent.

The cameras zoomed in on Hope, who looked down, ashamed. The spectators did not cheer. Those who knew him were astonished that Hope, of all hybrids, had taken down someone. Those who didn't still were astonished that he did it in _one hit_.

Tekna the Jolteon was sent out next. She was a yellow-furred hybrid covered in quills, with a muzzle that gave her a wry, mischievous expression and pointed ears. She was just as surprised as the rest of us. "You sure you want to do this?" she asked.

"I have no choice," Hope responded, still looking down.

Tekna pointed at the Absol. A bolt of lightning erupted from her hand, but he had disappeared in a burst of speed. Startled by his agility, she charged her electricity, causing her quills to stand on end. She looked around, until she found him. Focusing electricity in her hand, she rushed the hybrid, curling her hand into a crackling fist. Lightning streamed from her punch with a loud _boom_.

But she missed. Hope had swept behind her, scythe horn red with blood. She had enough time to see blood pouring from her side, muzzle agape, before she fainted of blood loss.

I looked at the screen to see the close-up of Hope. Tears began welling in his eyes.

"Hope…" That was all Amph could say.

Next up was Matthew. He floated over to Hope. "Are you okay, buddy?" He asked.

Hope's voiced was desperate. "Please, just surrender. Please! I don't want to hurt anyone else!"

"Sidi said I have to beat you. You don't have to fight back, you know."

"I do. I'm sorry."

"…I'm sorry, too."

They both leaped back. Matthew charged the same blue orb that Lucas used and fired it. Hope tilted his head, cleaving it in two with his scythe horn. Hope's claws became enshrouded in darkness. He clawed towards Matthew. Even separated by a distance of several feet, a shallow gash appeared on Matthew's fur. Matthew winced, allowing Hope to continue the onslaught. He sliced him repeatedly, inflicting wounds faster than even Bracken could. Eventually Matthew was covered in cuts all over his body, dyeing his pink fur deep red. Matthew's agonized cries resounded through the silent stadium, but he remained steady. He tried to charge another aura sphere, but it fizzled as Hope's long-distance attacks sliced it to pieces. I realized that in a normal fight, Matthew would have been a tough opponent. But this was no normal fight. Hope slowly approached, using his ethereal attacks to hold him in place and weaken him. With tears streaming from his eyes, he reached Matthew and stabbed him deep in the side. Blood spurted out, staining Hope's pure white fur as Matthew collapsed.

Hope dropped to his knees, shaking. Sidi walked up to him, stroking him gently on his furry back. Then with one blow Sidi knocked him out. He did not look proud.

Vulcan spoke, practically speechless. "What… what just happened…?"

I personally walked up and carried Hope's limp body off the stadium.

He stirred in my arms just before I returned out-of-bounds. "Why?" I asked.

He was still quivering. "I foresaw it," he groaned. "This was Delphyn's last chance. If he lost… he would have killed himself. That's why I joined your team. That's why I caused them such pain!" He flinched, then looked directly at me. "That's why you have to win."


	11. Chapter 11- Sidi

Chapter 11- Sidi

_Alright Eon, Ivory's back. Burn that Grass-type to the ground!_ Even Delphyn's thoughts warbled with emotion. His unspoken thoughts were clear. He was so close to victory… and so close to failure.

I stepped forward, nodding to the snake-like hybrid. She kept her head held high. Raising her hand once more, she summoned a thorny vine. _Oh, no you don't, _I thought. Before she could pluck it, I channeled my inner strength into a psychic flame that burned the whip down.

"Hmm… Fire versus Grass. Not to be biased, but my money's on Eon." Vulcan commented.

"I dunno. Eon's still a rookie. I'm betting on Ivory, personally." Amph replied.

She looked uninterested in their remarks. She raced around the pitfalls on her side towards me, flinging seeds at my feet. I jumped back as the seeds sprouted, covering our field with a spreading ivy. I couldn't determine its purpose until I realized my energy was being drained away into the plant and from it into Ivory. Ivory allowed herself a small smile. I took in a deep breath, igniting the fire within me. When I exhaled, a torrent of flame scorched the battlefield in raging inferno. Ivory only stepped back. I looked down at the charred, life-draining greenery. It was growing back at an amazing pace, pulling out more of my energy.

_Eon, step back! Let Exca handle this._

Exca and I switched places. He slid his claws against themselves, making a sound like a blade being sharpened. Raining his enormous claws to his head once more, he drilled into the ground. Directing with her hands, Ivory grew gargantuan, thorny vines that then immediately bored back into the ground, seeking out the Excadrill. The life-draining plants wilted and withered as Exca tore out their roots and occasionally surfaced to uproot them entirely. Within a couple minutes, our field became a rocky mess, totally unsuitable for the draining plant to grow on. But once Exca surfaced for the last time, the frenzied plants caught up with him, tearing into his fur and flesh. The vines continued to roil over him as the crowd cheered Ivory on. The vines abated, leaving Exca's bloody, unconscious body. Spectators voiced their sympathy.

"Oh, jeez… That's gotta hurt!" Amph said.

_Switch out and finish the job, _Delphyn commanded. I could sense his growing nervousness.

As I took Exca's place, the sun grew stronger once more. I worked on clearing my mind. I tried to let all my thoughts slip away, tried to forget the emotions and fear I felt. Ivory grew a third whip. Stretching out my hand, I summoned a blue flame that engulfed the Grass-type. When I released the power, Ivory continued burning. Maintaining her regal posture, she let the sun heal her, ivory-colored scales glowing. She swung the whip towards me. I jumped over it and blew a flame at the vine, burning off the end of it. The same healing glow enveloped the whip as it grew once more to its former length. Ivory snapped the whip forward. This time I was too slow and the thorns dug into my skin. I winced, giving her time to drag the vine across my arms once more. Blood pooled around the stinging cuts, staining my fur. I summoned a flame with my mind again, this time maintaining it as long as I could. She tried to escape the inferno, but as long as I kept focused on her, the fire followed. Without warning, vines erupted from the ground, curling around my arms and legs and pulling them apart. I was trapped. What's more, the sudden attack broke my concentration, ending my blue conflagration.

She approached, whip dragging behind her. She paused to look at me before swung the thorny vine across my chest, cutting deep at such short range. I could feel the control, the blue-blood aloofness in her eyes. Her eyes.

_That's righ_t! I realized_._ As I was whipped again and again, I tried to push my psychic presence through her eyes. I got closer and closer as I learned and took hold of her emotions. Blood trickled down my chest. Eventually, I forced my way in. Finding the flaw in her mind, I drove through with all the might I could muster. I saw her eyes go blank as I took control. Now in two bodies, I released the vines holding me and staggered over to Ivory, leaving a crimson trail behind me. Using her body, I forced her to heal me with the sun's power. A glow washed over me as my numerous gashes sealed up, leaving no trace of injury. Then I made her kneel before me. The spectators voiced their surprise and delight.

Taking a deep breath, I doused her in a raging inferno at point-blank. I watched through the fire as she collapsed unconscious.

_Now only… Sidi remains… _Delphyn's nervousness got the better of him. _Please… win…_ I could perceive his fear. The fear of being worthless. He needed the confidence victory would bring.

...Otherwise...

Sidi walked forward, affixing me with his cold gaze. I could read no emotion from it. All it radiated was fear. I instinctively blocked a kick with my arm. _How did he get here this fast?!_ I wondered. He threw a punch only to fake out and strike with his other fist, driving it under my chin. I flew into the air, flipping around to land on my feet. He was on me in an instant, darting in and out to bite and claw at me. The rings on his ears, tail, head, and limbs flashed with each hit. I jumped back and blew a jet of fire. Summoning a ball of shadow, Sidi absorbed the fire into it. I watched as my sun-powered inferno disappeared into the pulsating sphere. He hurled the orb at me. I leaped above it, twisting around to see it explode in a wave of darkness behind me.

I suddenly lurched forward as Sidi delivered a kick to the small of my back, causing me to fall on my face. Rising, I saw Sidi stand before me, silent and merciless. Once more, his cold, crimson eyes quenched my internal flame. His claws became enveloped by a solid purple glow. I blinked. In that time he had crossed the distance between us. A moment later I felt his freezing claws slice open my chest, further staining my silver fur. I let out a ragged gasp before stepping back, breathing heavily despite the pain of my chest rising and falling. I tried my trump card once more. I stared into his eyes. Just like before, they were unreadable.

Suddenly, I could focus on nothing else. The world ceased to exist around me. I fell to my knees, enveloped in darkness. I was aware of two things. His blood-red eyes… and _fear_. Mind-numbing, soul-crushing, _fear_. My body started quivering. The eyes approached. Glowing yellow rings appeared around them, outlining the Umbreon's menacing form.

I gathered all the courage I could muster, remembering the sacrifices of my teammates. I pushed my paralyzed body forward, swinging my tails around to curse my foe. Sidi's eyes widened as he stumbled back… too late. I felt unclean as my tails swept over his fur, but I felt a seal break inside me as the power I needed emerged. The curse manifested itself as ethereal chains that bound him to the ground and forced him to his knees. I grinned. Silent as ever, the dark fox yanked on the chains, recoiling as the fetters shocked him. I took another breath and blew out a bright fire, scorching the grass beneath us. Sidi formed another shadow ball in front of his muzzle. Once more, the bright flame was drawn into the orb of darkness. He threw it towards me. I rolled to one side to dodge. Rising, I realized that Sidi had made many copies of himself all across the battle field. All of them moved exactly the same- they were perfect duplicates. I felt daunted.

Quickly restoring the sun's intensity, I proceeded to let loose a raging torrent of flame across the field. To my surprise, they were all unaffected. _They must all be an illusion!_ I realized. _But which one is real?_ The Sidis all charged another shadow ball, firing at the same time. A feeling of dread formed deep within me as I realized I couldn't dodge all of them. I danced around as many as I could, bracing whenever one did connect. I heard an explosion of darkness behind me, signifying that I had evaded his true attack. The others passed through me harmlessly until the illusion faded.

I paused to breathe. My now single opponent looked at me with cold, calculating eyes. I decided to end this. I focused on the bound Umbreon, clearing my mind. The sun's rejuvenating rays restored my strength, giving me the energy to envelop him in my blue, mystical fire. I stared him down, meeting his gaze for but a moment. In that modicum of time I was struck with a power unlike any I had felt before, even greater than that which I felt only minutes before. I felt as if I would cease to exist, slowly torn apart by the indescribable agony that overcame me. Although my body felt no true pain, I began to writhe on the ground, howling to the congregation of hybrids of my condition.

The pain did not let up. I ended up curling my tails around me, trying to remain sane as the Umbreon's dark powered surged through me. The world grew dark. _No, no!_ I thought in desperation. _I can't fall unconscious. Delphyn needs me! _I thought of the fox hybrid- his excitement, his nervousness... his fear.

Holding firm to that thought, I used it to weather out the attack. The fear still coursed through me, but the desire to save Delphyn was more powerful, allowing me to draw in every aspect of my being into a tight space within me, where the fear could not penetrate. I stood up. For once I thought I saw a trace of fear in those predacious eyes. I staggered towards him, my perfect concentration giving me power unlike any I had ever possessed. I drew the sun's rays into my body before raising my hand. A pillar of bright, blue fire hid the fox hybrid from view as it rose high above the stadium. Spectators roared their approval. I briefly made out Vulcan and Amph's play-by-play before returning to the task at hand.

I condensed the fire, pulling it tighter until it became a blindingly bright outline of the dark fox. I continued the psychic inferno for as long as I could. Sidi's smoldering body lay on the ground, merciless eyes closed. His rings stopped shining.

I had won.

I chuckled lightly in relief. Then it became a long, full laugh, a laugh that told all that I had taken down this dark fox. I laughed until I cried, sitting down for the first time since the match began. I was too tired to care that I was dirtying my precious tails.

Sidi's eyes opened. Getting on his feet, he strained against my cursed chains, flooding them with his shadowy power until they shattered and dissipated. He was breathing heavily. His rings glowed. Raising his furred hands to the sky, he emanated a dark aura that corrupted the sky, giving the illusion of night. Nevertheless, the pale moon appeared, shining its soft, white light into the darkened stadium. I got to my feet, true fear taking hold. The crowd murmured

Automatic lights turned on, highlighting our match in powerful contrast. I saw the scorched grass, a symbol of Blaze's, Delphyn's, and my own burning power. I looked to the hills and trenches of dirt Exca dug out, rendering Ivory's plants useless. Near me was a series of holes where Exca was captured by Ivory's frenzied vines. Looking past the panting Umbreon, I saw the pitfalls my teammate had excavated, capturing the might of Titan long enough for Bracken, Blaze, and Hope to finish him. Speaking of Hope…

I looked, but I noticed no signs of his unprecedented brutality. It was as if the earth itself wanted to forget the violence. He'd want it that way.

I returned to my opponent. His gait smoothed from a staggering limp to an upright stride as the moonlight soothed his singed fur. His eyes and rings glowed as he approached. I began to step back.

"Do you want to know why I named this team 'Unseen Powers'?" Sidi asked in a soft, menacing voice. My heart raced. "This is why," he said. The lights all cut off, and even the sky went totally black. All I could see were his eyes and rings, which proceeded to fade into darkness.

"Behold my unseen power."

I threw up my blood-stained arms. I couldn't see anything, nor could I hear much as the crowd cried out in fear. So much for being the most powerful beings on the planet. My vision went red as my invisible foe landed a solid kick on my head. I staggered, but remained upright. I blew a flame to illuminate my surroundings, but saw nothing, not even the blaze. I could feel its heat, but no light shined in the suffocating darkness. I strained my ears, feeling them twitch as I listened for any sound that would indicate his movements. Thankfully, the audience fell silent. They, too, were trying to listen.

Then I heard a faint scuffling to my left. It was quiet, much quieter than any human could be. I turned to face the source of the noise, only for it to jump to my side and claw me just below my ribs. Without my vision to distract me, I heard the visceral sound of my flesh tearing apart, feeling the oozing blood tickle every hair. I tried desperately to quiet my breathing as to not indicate where I waited, scared out of my mind.

In desperation, I breathed a jet of flame at my feet, hoping that the fire would deter my assailant. Instead, two large paws fell on me, knocking me to the ground. The paws clawed my skull as they leapt off. The exhaustion of battle began to catch up to me. I allowed myself a moment of weakness before forcing myself back on my feet. I tried desperately to keep up my strength, but it began to ebb away. I thought about Delphyn, all his dreams, his worries, his fears. I remembered Hope and his contribution, at great personal price. I mustered all the power I could. Taking a battle stance, I let power flow to my hands. Even in the crushing blackness, I felt the power ignite at my fingertips, giving me claws of fire. I heard a disturbance behind me. Sweeping around, I slashed with my claws, hearing a gruesome yet satisfying hiss of burning flesh as my claws made their mark. For a moment, I could see my furred hands, fire roiling up my fingers to form long, wicked claws of white-blue fire. Then all became black once more as Sidi renewed his magic.

_I've got him, _I thought, trying to maintain optimistic as my limbs and tails became increasingly heavy. _Just have to hold on… a little longer…_ I heard the faint, airy sound of an impending attack, but my muscles could not respond in time. I felt sharp, canine teeth pierce my shoulder. Before I could slice the owner with my infernal claws, he kicked off my back, taking a chunk of my shoulder with him. To my relief, he did not swallow it. Nevertheless, I could not move my right arm. It simply refused to respond.

A new feeling welled within me. It was a source of energy... powerful, ancient, vindictive energy. It took a moment to for me to recognize it: the curse! I realized that when he jumped off he had brushed my tails. That was adding insult to injury; rage consumed me over his audacity. The perfect curse sprang to my mind immediately: I made him deaf.

As the curse took hold, I laughed once more, the only sound on the field. He stumbled backwards, lost without his precious hearing to guide him and blinded by his own power- literally. Using my remaining strength, I intensified the fire in my left claws, causing them to burn with a strength that enveloped me in its warmth. I used the sound of a quickening heartbeat to locate my foe. Stabbing blindly with my good arm, I was rewarded with the sound of cauterizing flesh. I slashed again and once more for good measure. His breathing came in hoarse gasps, but I had to finish this. I branded him with my fiery claws again and again, nearly igniting his fur from the heat. A muffled _thump_ indicated Sidi's collapse. The darkness was replaced by light once more as night returned to day. Though I extinguished my claws, I was wary of Sidi's still body. The whole stadium remained silent. The blue-furred hybrid looked at Sidi with his piercing red eyes… and raised a flag. I won. I truly won.

The audience erupted into deafening cheers. They rose from their seats, clapping with incredible intensity. All I could do was pull my ears back at the sound and fall on my back, exhausted beyond measure. I was too tired to make out Vulcan's adrenaline-fueled speed monologue; neither could I comprehend Amph's translation. I just lay there, feeling the glorious sun on my shining, bloodstained, silver fur. Without warning, I fell asleep.


	12. Chapter 12- Aftermath

Chapter 12- Aftermath

I woke up on a hospital bed in what looked to be the locker room, based on its décor. I saw Delphyn standing over me, looking overjoyed. "Oh, hey, Delphyn," I said. I felt very well rested, and my voice reflected it. "How long have I been out?"

"Only a few minutes," the fox hybrid said cheerfully.

"A few minutes?" I questioned. "I feel like I just got a whole night's rest!"

Delphyn pointed to a piece of machinery. It was a circular device with a band of dark glass around the inside middle; I presumed light was emitted from it. Sitting up, I saw that it rested on a slide that allowed it to be situated anywhere along the bed. "This," Delphyn explained, "is a healing machine. Hybrid cells respond extremely well to some kind of radiation or light at this one wavelength or something which I don't really understand… the point is it heals you. Really, really fast. Seriously, they're still showing the highlights of our match. C'mon, let's go watch!" He bounded out of the room. I followed him away from the healing machines over to our waiting area, where the television replayed the scene of Delphyn stealing Ivory's whip. The present Delphyn grinned in pride as Amph went into excruciating detail over his performance and skill.

"Congratulations on your battle, Delphyn!" Exca spoke up. "I do not think very many people knew you could steal an object of that large size."

"Yeah," Bracken said lazily, resting with his eyes closed by an open window, sunning himself. He opened his eyes to see Vulcan show off Sidi's predatory talent in defeating Delphyn. "I think Sidi just had a natural advantage. Darkness does work wonders against psychics, you know." Delphyn scratched one of his vulpine ears in embarrassment, smiling haphazardly.

"Not only that, but your leadership carried us to victory. Your teaching was invaluable," Blaze commended.

Delphyn's excitement got the better of him. He leaped, punching the air above him. "Thanks, everyone! You guys are the best!"

Hope sat a little ways away hugging his knees. He was quivering. I sat beside him, stroking his fluffy, bloodstained fur softly. The quivering subsided.

I looked up to see a special camera show Exca's movements underground, giving viewers an understanding of how he laid all his traps so subtly. I finally got a first-hand look at all the planning he had to do, gauging the weight the dirt could hold without disrupting the surface. What's more, he was blind and spinning the entire time. I clapped him on the back, congratulating him before returning to Hope.

Bracken's highlight showed a slow-motion replay of his furious swiping played to peaceful music. I think the song was called "Blue Danube." We all laughed at that, except Hope, who kept his head down.

The screen then showed Hope's performance. Amph elaborated, "What's interesting is that Hope has never fought anyone before. Yena tells me that all he does in the Dark Room is train by himself, and even then sparingly. So to see him utterly destroy his opponents with such incredible ferocity is astounding!" Hope began shaking again, despite my efforts.

"Nobody hates you," I assured him. "They think you're amazing."

I barely made out his response it was so quiet: "I hate me…" I wrapped an arm around him in a hug, stroking him all the while.

Another underground segment showed off Exca's subterranean acrobatics, tearing up the soil while avoiding the relentless pursuit of Ivory's thorned vines. We applauded him. He grinned.

Then came my highlights: forcing Ivory to her knees with mental willpower alone, dodging tons of shadow balls, resisting Sidi's fear, and chaining him with my curse. On screen, I raised my hand to summon the column of fire. "Here it comes…" Vulcan commentated, "BOOM! Check out the size of that thing! Amph, do we have an official height estimate?"

"Yes; it's about thirty feet high."

"You saw it here first, folks. Eon's flaming, thirty-foot…" I heard him stifle a snicker.

"Attack," Amph finished.

The screen then cut to the special camera which showed what went on when Sidi covered the stadium in darkness. I looked around frantically as Sidi lurked about, occasionally striking me with paws or claws. A slow-motion camera explained how I won. "Okay, watch closely," Vulcan instructed. The screen paused. It zoomed in on my tails where Sidi's own bushy tail brushed them. I brought the unclean tails around, licking and combing them with my fingers subconsciously. "Right there," Vulcan pointed out. "For those who have not had the misfortune to touch Eon or Kyu's tails, they will totally screw you over for it. Touching their tails gives them the power to curse you. It's like a wildcard; they can do pretty much whatever they want with enough energy." The footage kept playing, showing my enraged state and then Sidi's confusion.

_Hi Eon! It's Vulcan,_ a voice in my head called. _Umm… none of us have any idea what you just did. Could you explain?_

I raised my tails high in the air, even though he couldn't see me. _I made him deaf, so he had no sight _and _no hearing._ I thought back.

Vulcan continued broadcasting, "I have just received word that Eon cursed Sidi to be deaf- temporarily, I hope."

_Right?_

_Yeah. It's temporary._

Yeah, it's temporary. But, still, ouch! Remind me never to get on his bad side…" I grinned.

My ears perked up as I heard heavy, ponderous, metallic footsteps, along with several other pawed ones. A few moments later, our opponents walked in, giving congratulations as they sat down among us, Titan causing a loud thud. I realized that while we were mortal enemies on the battlefield, there was no reason not to be friends off it. Sidi stood in front of me, all trace of malice gone. He pointed to his ears. I realized he was still deaf. Bracing myself, I reached a tail around, removing the curse. I still shuddered and went to clean the tail immediately.

He nodded. "Thanks." His bright red eyes were fixed on me, as if he was waiting for me to attack. He sat down across from me in a padded chair, back erect and rings glowing. "You were excellent. I did not anticipate using my Perfect Darkness. That is reserved for only the most tenacious of foes." He smiled softly. I smiled back.

Sidi looked to Hope. His fluffy ears fell slightly. He went beside him, placing a black-furred hand on his shoulder. "Brother, are you well?"

I started. "Brother? Hope's your brother?"

Sidi shook his head. "Not in blood. But I consider all Dark-types my brothers and sisters." He looked at Hope with such concern that I couldn't have doubted him.

"I'm okay," Hope whispered. "I just need a bit to recover."

Sidi lightly squeezed his shoulder. "I'm here for you."

"Thank you."

I noticed Exca and Titan talking as if they had been friends for years. Ivory sat apart from the rest of us with perfect posture, watching with indifference. Lucas and Blaze were swapping stories and techniques, and Tekna and Delphyn chatted about an upcoming test. Wait…

"Where's Matthew?" I asked Sidi. Hope flinched in my arm.

Sidi's rings dimmed. He looked at me with unreadable, wide eyes. "Matthew's still in shock from his battle." Hope broke down crying. Sidi scratched the collar of fur around Hope's neck. "He's not technically in shock, but he refuses to move from the Healing Room. He said he'd only talk to you or Kyu."

My heart skipped a beat at her mention. "Where's Kyu?" I asked.

Sidi pointed at the screen, where two new teams were taking position. I made out Kyu's white-gold fur almost immediately. My tails wagged slightly.

I returned to the moment. "Would you like me to talk to him?" I asked.

"If you would," Sidi said. "I can care for Hope."

"Thanks." I stood up before turning to look at Hope's sobbing form. I petted the fur on his head. "Sorry you had to do this," I whispered. He did not respond.

I took a deep breath, exhaling as I walked out. I sniffed the air, relying on scent to locate my friend. Not picking up any trace of Mew, I decided to follow Sidi's scent, a musky combination of fox and phosphorous. I passed other teams watching nervously for their turn; I could even pick up on their quickened heartbeats. Eventually I came upon a feline smell, cat combined with an incense I recognized when I caught of whiff of it emanating from the Psychic room. _Matthew!_ I thought, running along its path. I ended up back at the Healing Rooms, where the scent trail led me to an open door. To my surprise, I came across a somewhat familiar smell, one of flowers and fresh soil. I walked in to find Shay, the hybrid with ankle-length verdant hair, a short muzzle, and thin, white fur, wearing a nurse's outfit and carrying a clipboard. Her petite form came only to my shoulder. She turned to me and practically yelped in surprise. I could hear her heartbeat speed up. "W-what brings you here?" She asked in her shy voice. I pointed to Matthew, who looked up from his bed. His pelt, though fully intact, was still painted with a faded crimson. His eyes were blank.

"Hey Eon," he said, smiling a little. I had never heard him sound so… _empty_. It was almost creepy. "I was hoping you'd come. I feel so lonely…"

My ears fell back. "You've got Shay, don't you?"

"Yeah…" His shining blue eyes stared past mine into space. "But all she does is ask questions. She's no fun." His speech pattern was the same, but the emotion was gone. I resolved to fix this. Suddenly, he bent over, clutching his head and gasping for breath. I was taken aback. "The pain…!" This was the most emotion I had heard so far. "So much pain, pain everywhere, pain in, pain out, pain flowing into more pain!"

Shay gave a little squeak before running over to pet the back of his neck. "It's all right, there's no more pain. You don't ever have to feel that again…" She went on, trying to assure him that he would be all right.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked.

Matthew took a deep breath and shuddered. "I've never felt anything so horrible. It was like running through thorns and getting paper cuts all over your body, every inch of it. I've almost never lost. It took everybody forever to beat me in a fight. Except…"

Tears welled in his eyes. "They say Jesus bled from every pore. I think I did, too." He began to cry. I sat beside him. Both Shay and I tried our best to help him calm down. We measured our progress by the diminishing lashings of his thin tail.

Shay whispered, "In my experience, I've found that it helps hybrids recovering from battle shock to just have fun. But I don't think he finds gardening fun, so I was hoping you'd know what to do." An idea sprang to mind.

"Matthew, do you want to play some games?" He stopped gasping. He looked up to see me. I saw a sparkle in his eyes, a flash of his regular self. But then it faded back into the dull yet anguished glaze that betrayed his inner state.

"Games like what?" He asked.

"I dunno, whatever you want to play!" I tried to remain optimistic and cheerful for him.

He gave a little smile despite himself. "Let's go to my room," he said in monotone. He extended a hand. I clasped mine in his, and suddenly we were in his room. The first thing I noticed was the surround sound system from which Vulcan and Amph gave commentary over the tournament. The next thing I noticed was a short, brown hybrid with a huge ring of cream fur around his neck. Unlike Flare's fur collar, his grew around his neck and down his chest, forming three distinct fluffs. His stood up from his soft chair, short muzzle open in excitement as his bushy vulpine tail wagged all about. He didn't even take notice of us, engrossed in the battle depicted on an enormous flat-screen TV embedded in the wall. I looked and saw Kyu breathe out an enormous stream of fire at her opponent on screen. My tails wagged, too.

"Hi, Vee," Matthew said dejectedly, floating a few inches above the ground, hind paws limp.

Vee's long ears twitched. He finally turned to face us, with a confused look. "Matthew? Why are you all sad?" Matthew eyes widened. He suddenly collapsed to the ground, writhing and screaming. Vee jumped. "What's happening?" He asked, frightened for his roommate.

I thought of how to answer this. "Remember his battle with Hope?" Vee opened his muzzle to speak, only to remember Hope's brutality. His tail fell between his legs as his countenance turned miserable.

"Oh yeah…" he said. He knelt down and lifted Matthew off the ground into a hug. "Sorry, buddy…" Matthew calmed down. Vee released Matthew, where he floated effortlessly. Vee's ears fell back as he noticed his empty expression. "That must have been so awful!" Vee exclaimed. He faced me and asked, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"We were going to play a game to cheer him up," I explained.

Vee's excitement returned; his tail resumed wagging. "I know just the game!" He declared, running to a cabinet under the TV. He rummaged about through an extensive library of video games before pulling out one. "This is Matthew's favorite game," he explained, showing me the cover of Mario Kart 8. "Well, except Minecraft, but last time I let him play that he didn't get off the computer for _twelve days_! Twelve! He didn't even take breaks!" He exclaimed, exasperated. Matthew let out a half-hearted chuckle. I smiled. We were making progress.

Vee practically bounced over to his Wii U, turning it on before getting out all the Wii Remotes and the Game Pad. He slid the game disc in and directed the console to play it. Grabbing the controllers, he shoved a Wii Remote into Matthew's and my hands, taking the Game Pad for himself before sitting in his cushioned chair, tail wagging out of a hole in the back. Matthew used his psychic ability to move a padded chair off to one side of Vee, leaving enough room for him to sit between us on a big bubble of psychic energy. His long tail lashed back and forth excitedly, yet his eyes remained dead.

The game started up. Vee navigated the menus with extreme speed and precision… that's something I never thought I'd say. Within seconds we were at the character select screen. Looking over my options, I ended up just choosing my favorite character of the franchise, Luigi, while Vee went straight for Mario. Matthew took his time before selecting Yoshi. "Oh, man, battle of the bros!" Vee said, laughing at his own joke. I laughed, too. He looked to me with a mischievous grin. "I'm gonna wreck you!"

I used my best Luigi voice. "I don't-a think so, big-a bro!" Vee chuckled lightly.

Matthew did a spot-on impersonation of Daisy, for once using emotion. "Boys, boys, you're both pretty, can we just race now?" Vee and I burst out laughing.

"Matthew, that was perfect! How did you do that?" I questioned.

His voice returned to its previous monotone. "I heard Daisy. Isn't that enough?"

"Aww, come on, buddy, cheer up!" Vee clapped him on the back.

"And for the record, no, it's not enough for anyone." I stopped for a second. "Well, anyone except you."

I thought I saw a hint of merriment in his feline face.

It became clear I was totally outclassed within about… twenty seconds. Both Vee and Matthew were pros- they knew every trick to cut down on time, where to drift, how much, and their accuracy when throwing bombs or shells was near-perfect. Matthew won the first race by a hair's breadth, just passing Vee. I placed third, but they were so far ahead it didn't mean anything. "So close!" Vee exclaimed, ears pulled back in frustration. He began selecting the next course. "I'm winning this round, just you see!"

"Really?" Matthew asked with a touch of emotion.

"For sure!" Vee declared. "I'll leave you in my dust!"

Two or three minutes later, Vee left us in his dust.

"Oh, now it's on!" Matthew was getting genuinely excited. Although his eyes were still lost in the horrific events he experienced, he was returning little by little. Matthew selected the next track, going for one of the hardest. I mostly tried to stay ahead of the CPUs while my friends competed for first place. However, near the end of this race, a rogue blue shell detonated on both of them, sending both of their karts soaring into the air. My heart raced as I managed to pass them, winning the match. I stood up, arms and tails raised in a victory pose. I knew it was only by sheer luck that I won, but I intended to milk it as long as I could. After we all recovered from that miracle, I posed a question.

"Have you guys ever played with Vulcan?"

"Holy crap, that guy's annoyingly lucky!" To my surprise, it was Matthew who responded. "I swear, the only items he ever gets are stars in first place and _blue shells_ in second! It doesn't help that he's already as good as us! We've never won against him! Stupid 'Victini always wins' rule…" He let out a melodious laugh, the first I've heard in a while. "But it's okay. It's kinda hilarious to see how far the universe will go to help him win."

Vee tackled Matthew in a hug, knocking him off his bubble. "You're back! You're finally back!" His tail was wagging frantically.

"Whaddya mean I'm 'back'? Haven't I been here for like twenty minutes?" Matthew said, laughing.

"Yes, but your smile is back. You don't sound like a zombie!" They laughed, embracing each other. I waited as they separated and we got back to racing. Or, well, _they_ got back to racing. I just drove my kart behind them. Fifteen races, three grand prix and, a heck of a lot of online competitions (Or online "decimations" as Vee put it; humans simply could not compete with hybrid reflexes) later, I had to take a break. I grabbed a soda from their mini-fridge and watched as they took turns breaking their own high scores on the time trials.

My ears pricked as I heard footsteps running down the hall, then a frantic knocking. Matthew floated over to the door, opening it with his mind. A bloodstained Kyu stood in the doorway, looking rather frightened. My heart skipped a beat. "Matthew! I came as soon as I could! That looked so awful! Are you okay?" She embraced the floating cat hybrid, yet held her tails behind her, as to not dirty them. I felt something strange in me… jealousy?

"Yes, Kyu, I'm fine now. Eon cheered me up!" Matthew responded.

Kyu looked at me over Matthew's shoulder, but broke eye contact almost immediately. Nevertheless, she said, "Thanks Eon. That was good of you to help him out. I appreciate it." Despite her strange behavior I swelled with pride.

Matthew escaped her hug. "Hey, do you wanna play Mario Kart? We have room for another player."

Kyu smiled. "Sure!"

She took a seat, tails folded gracefully behind her.

…She was so beautiful…

Eventually, I heard Vee calling my name. "Hey, Eon! You playing?"

I jolted as I came to my senses. "Uh, yeah, sure! Hand me a controller." I thought back over what I did. My eyes widened as I finally realized, _Oh, gosh… I love her. I really actually love her!_ To be honest, it kinda made sense considering we were the same species. I grew euphoric as I considered the possibility that she loved me, too. I mean, she always acted weird around me; maybe she's too nervous to admit her feelings. Although… I felt nervous myself. I didn't want to tell her just yet.

As we played together, I kept glancing back to Kyu. She looked so cute focused on racing; I just couldn't look away. This act cost me quite a few races… I mean, third places, but I hardly noticed.

"I heard Nintendo's making a game based off of hybrids," Vee mentioned.

"Really? What's it called?" I asked.

"Uhh… Pokémon, I think."

Kyu tilted her head in the most adorable way. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Vee thought for a moment. "If I remember right, it's short for 'Pocket Monsters'."

Matthew snorted. "Racist jerks."

Vee explained. "The idea is that considering we're called hybrids because we look part-human and part-animal…"

"More like they're part-hybrid." Matthew quipped, giggling a little.

"Anyway, so they're taking that animal half and making it into a creature that you can catch and train to fight other Pokémon."

I grimaced a little. "So it's like glorified dog fighting?"

"A little, yeah. Don't we already fight each other in tournaments anyway, though?"

"…Good point. But still, aren't we already made out to be monsters? This isn't helping our image."

"There's no way Pokémon will catch on," Kyu commented. We all agreed.

We raced for hours on end. By the time the last rays of sunshine strained to enter the window, I could almost hold my own against Matthew and Vee. Matthew seemed to have fully recovered from his trauma… I think. I decided to test something. Between races, I reached over with one of my blue-furred hind paws and scratched his leg lightly with a claw. Matthew stiffened in surprise, floating backwards and assuming a battle stance. He was panting heavily, eyes wide with fear. "Matthew," Vee questioned. "What happened?" His short muzzle was pulled into a frown. Matthew stopped shaking as hard as he sat back down.

"I wanted to see how you would react to getting scratched," I explained, holding up my hind paw.

Matthew looked hurt, his ears pulled back. "It's only been ten hours." He looked at me with fearful eyes. "Please don't do that again!"

"Eon!" Kyu chided. That hurt the most.

My tails drooped and my ears fell back. That was really stupid of me. "Sorry Matthew…" I apologized.

He giggled. "All is forgiven! Now get back to racing. I'm feeling lucky!"

Vee shot back, "Yeah, _un_lucky!"

"Bring it, Eevee!" And we played on.

Gentle moonlight filtered through the window when Kyu and I called it a night. As she walked off, I almost called out to her, but my voice caught in my throat. I lowered my tails in disappointment in myself.

Matthew flew out of his room, literally. "Hey, want me to teleport you back?" I was too preoccupied to answer. Matthew floated right in my face. "Hey! Did you hear me?!" He shouted. I winced and refocused. "Did you want me to teleport you back?"

"Sure," I agreed. He grabbed my arm with a pink furred hand and we were in my room.

I caught a whiff of a distinctly watery scent, like that of a pristine mountain lake, sweet and pure, mixed with the smell of wildflowers and berries. I inferred the aqueous aroma was Suicuna's, considering it led into the hallway along with Flare's smoky smell flavored with parsley and thyme; maybe they could tell me what to do with Kyu! I followed the trail out of the dorms to the central plaza where Suicuna and Flare were embracing lovingly. Matthew followed. Upon seeing the couple, he burst out in his melodious laughter. Suicuna looked over Flare's shoulder towards us; an easy task, considering she was at least six inches taller than the Flareon.

Matthew began chanting, "Suicuna and Flare, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" he fell over in the air, laughing away.

Suicuna turned to Flare. "Kissing in a tree… We should try that sometime." Her voice was a little deep but soft.

Flare smiled back. "Maybe tomorrow?" Suicuna nuzzled his cheek.

Matthew's laughter quieted down enough for me to speak. "Hey, um… can you two help me out?"

Suicuna fixed her violet eyes on me. The crystalline horn protruding from her head was kind of distracting as it reflected the light. "What can we do for you?"

I pawed the ground in front of me nervously. "Well, you see, there's this girl I like…"

"Is it Kyu?" Matthew blurted out. I shot him a dirty look.

"Yeah, I, uh," I found it hard to say. Blushing through my silver fur, I whispered, "I like Kyu."

Suicuna extricated herself from Flare's hug. "Well don't be ashamed! We all need love in our life."

"It's also mating season for foxes this time of year. I wouldn't be surprised if our vulpine hybrids felt a little more… emotional nowadays," Flare commented.

I smiled awkwardly. "So, um, anyway, I'm too nervous to talk to her. Any advice?"

She placed a hand on my shoulder. "Here's what you do." I caught her nearly overwhelming scent of pure lake water. "Just hang out with her. You don't have to be forward, just get to know her, do fun things together. Maybe even date!"

"So I should just be her friend?"

"Exactly!" It was that easy? I smiled. She continued, "You know, I was so nervous when I first talked to Flare." Really? She seemed too outgoing to be intimidated by the quiet Fire-type.

"I was nervous, too," Flare pointed out. "I felt rather off put seeing a Water-type hybrid walk up to me completely unprompted." He smiled at her. "But I'm sure glad she did." They nuzzled again.

I decided to leave them alone for the night. "Thanks you two! Have a nice night!" Matthew teleported away, still laughing. I sprinted back to my currently empty room, so excited to try my hand at love. I curled my tails around myself, shivering in excitement. Maybe, just maybe, she'll reciprocate my affection. I closed my eyes but found it impossible to sleep. I was so focused on her beautiful tails and lustrous golden-white fur…

...I dreamed of us, our precious tails all intertwined…

* * *

Author's Note: A breather episode. The action will pick up again next chapter. I hope you've enjoyed it thus far.


	13. Chapter 13- Hunting for Love

Chapter 13- Hunting for Love

The following Tuesday morning I was completing a worksheet in chemistry when Professor Toxic made an announcement. "Johiko has asked me to remind you all of the upcoming hunting expedition this Friday." The frog-like hybrid wore a lab coat over smooth, blue amphibious skin. Both his middle fingers had long red claws- he explained that they secrete a ridiculously dangerous toxin, and as such he dulls them each morning to prevent injury. Being a Poison-type, it was interesting to see him handle a variety of extremely dangerous substances like hydrochloric acid with the same concern as one would handle flour or sugar.

His unblinking, yellow snake eyes were fixed on us. He grinned in his unique, almost terrifying way. "You can work in groups of two or three to hunt game from a select list _only_. We may not be humans, but we still need to obey laws like everyone else." At least one hybrid groaned at this. I didn't care. _Groups of two…_ I thought of my golden-furred love. He reached for his desk, grabbing sheets of paper that he then passed around. I looked over the information presented- available game, quantity, locations, etc. There was a warning to wear bright clothing as to remind hunters that you weren't game. But all that information meant little to me at that moment. I resolved to ask Kyu as soon to accompany me as soon as I could.

After what felt like an eternity, the bell rang, giving me a chance to ask that beautiful Ninetales right as we stepped into the hallway. "Oh, you do?" She responded, looking somewhat nervous. I myself was freaking out inside. Having acknowledged my feelings for her, those emotions became magnified. I felt extremely self-conscious near her; I wanted to be perfect for my perfect fox. Based on her reactions, I was sure she felt the same way. She could not help but notice my energetic tails. "Umm… let me get back to you on that." She finally responded. "I'll tell you tomorrow, okay?"

My voice caught in my throat, but I managed to stammer out, "Y-yeah, sure! Tomorrow!" She darted off with unprecedented speed. I was too love-crazed to care. Alone in the woods together… this would be the perfect chance to tell her how I feel!

The rest of the day passed in a blur; I couldn't stop fantasizing about the hunting trip. I'm… uh… not going to elaborate on that. My mind was so perfectly, singly focused on Kyu that I kept up a blue fire on the training pillars in the Fire Room until I collapsed, oblivious to the strain I put myself through. When I awoke in a Healing Room, Delphyn congratulated my endurance but criticized my absentmindedness.

"What's gotten into you?" The psychic fox questioned through my mental haze. "You've never been this distracted before! You saw how close we were to losing last time; we need to train much more if we're going to stand a chance in the next round in a couple of weeks!" I waved him off, deaf to his further lecturing.

At dinner that night, Kyu, Matthew, and I all sat together as we dug into our carnivorous meals. I stole a glance at her here and there, enraptured in her beauty as she tore apart a flank of meat, staining her elegant, vulpine muzzle with blood.

"Do you guys wanna play Mario Kart again tonight?" Matthew inquired.

Kyu replied first in her silky, perfect voice, "Oh, Matthew, I'd love to, but I have Math homework. Maybe this weekend when I'm not so busy."

Snapping out of my reverie, I similarly responded, "Yeah, I have some assigned reading for English, but I'd love to play this weekend, too." What I didn't say is that I mostly wanted to go for another reason: I would get another chance to be with Kyu.

"Well darn. I guess it's just me and Vee, then." He sighed, looking down. "Again."

Kyu put a hand on his shoulder in apology. I felt kinda jealous that she did not extend that affection to me, but I knew better than to say anything.

* * *

The following morning, I entered the Chemistry classroom, excited yet anxious for Kyu's answer.

"Hey, watch it!" A hybrid called. "You nearly knocked over my entire experiment!" I looked over and cringed as the accusing hybrid glared at me, both hands full of beakers and flasks that I nearly razed with my tails. I did my best to keep them still as I made my way to the back of the room where Kyu was setting up for the lab we would work on.

"Oh, hey, Eon!" She called as she saw me. "I already signed us up for the hunt. It'll be us and Sidi all together." My tails slowed. Sidi? Why would she bring Sidi along? I wanted it to be just the two of us…

"Great, Kyu, thanks," I replied, trying to sound enthusiastic despite my disappointment. There's no way I could say anything to her with him around! And… we wouldn't be able to do what I wanted to do… (Author's Note: No, he's not thinking about doing _that_.) My mind raced as I tried to come up with another plan to win her love.

Friday afternoon arrived and I had gotten nowhere in coming up with a plan. I eventually consigned to the idea that this would have to be another step, and I would confess of my love another time. I met up with Kyu and Sidi at the main campus amidst a throng of around a hundred other hybrids talking amongst themselves. A thin coating of snow covered the ground; my paws melted away the slush wherever I stepped. I heard flapping. I looked up to see Johiko Darck descend, silvery wings outstretched to land in front of the students. He raised those wings to silence the crowd.

"Although we are in the midst of our Fall Tournament, I wanted to organize this hunting trip so that our carnivores can get a chance to sink their teeth into real prey, rather than our fellow hybrids." One student shouted "Hear, hear!" and others followed suit. "Thank you," the Lugia continued. "As we should all be conservation minded, I have spread the hunt out around the continent; that way, our impact will not harm the ecosystems we hunt in. And don't worry- I will cover the cost of the game. Happy hunting!" He proceeded to partition the congregation into the various hunting groups.

Kyu tapped my fluffy shoulder. I flinched in surprise at my lover's touch. "I signed us up for deer hunting in Colorado. Follow me," she instructed. Sidi and I walked behind her, the Umbreon quite mindful of our tails, to a group of other excited predator hybrids.

A thought occurred to me. "Don't we need licenses to hunt?"

Sidi responded in his soft, intense voice. "Professor Darck obtains permission to organize hunting groups from around the continent each year. Our actions are legal."

Espy led the group, holding a clipboard as she distributed neon orange jerseys. The Dark-type coach, Yena, looked at her jersey with disdain. "You've gotta be kidding. How the heck am I supposed to catch deer when they can see me from a mile away?"

Espy tilted her head, smiling. "And the power to bend darkness to your will along with supernatural athleticism isn't enough?" Yena did nothing but snort as she forced her lupine head through the neck of the jersey.

I approached the Espeon.

She turned to me with her large, purple ears held high. "Why not? I enjoy a deer just as much as the next cat hybrid." She had once more anticipated my query.

"You've got a point there." Just the thought of all that meat made my mouth water.

Espy checked off our names on her clipboard.

I suddenly caught a whiff of a musky smell. I identified the source to be a brown pelt hanging over the back of a chair next to Espy. "That's your prey," she explained. "Remember the smell so you can track it."

A couple stragglers arrived as I committed the deer's smell to memory. "…Okay. That should be everyone," she announced. "All right, everyone, gather around! I'll teleport us all there." We huddled close to her, numbering around twelve. Her eyes flashed a deep blue and we stood in a clearing of a red and brown-leaved forest, sunlight bathing our fur. Kyu and I had already begun to melt the snow around us. Despite the warmth of the sun on our fur, it was still significantly colder here. Nevertheless, we had already begun to grow out our winter coats, so none of us were shivering. After a quick role call, Espy dismissed us to hunt, saying, "We're all here. Good. Okay, once you catch your prey, bring it back to this clearing. It may also help to, uh, leave a scent marker to find your way back." Her implication was clear. We all spread out to relieve ourselves; we may not be human, but we still cared about modesty, as we still wear clothes and whatnot. Once that business was taken care of, I met back up with Sidi and Kyu.

The three of us sniffed around, trying to catch a whiff of the mule deer smell we had just learned. "Got anything?" Kyu called.

"Not a whiff," I responded.

"I have smelled nothing of significance thus far," Sidi reported.

It was Sidi who caught the scent. "I've got something!" he called. Running over to him, I recognized the smell of the pelt.

"Yup, that's what we want," I said.

"Good going, Sidi!" Kyu complimented. At that moment I wished very badly that I had noticed the smell first.

Working more on instinct than anything else, we ran along the scent trail, our paws hardly disturbing the leaves beneath us. Sidi, however, was dead silent. I couldn't figure out how he was so quiet- even with my sensitive hybrid hearing, I could only make out my footsteps and Kyu's.

The smell intensified as we approached our target. Moving on silent paws, we crept up on a healthy looking doe. The deer raised her head, looking around for any predators- like us. Her ears perked as a stray wind blew our scent towards her. It was now or never. Sidi crouched as he prepared to pounce. "Wait!" Right as he jumped, Kyu thrust her hand out, stopping the hybrid before he could attack. I looked over to her- she watched the deer with a caring expression, hands clasped together against her fluffy chest. I looked over to the doe, for the first time noticing that she was tailed by a couple braying fawns- one had the beginnings of a set of antlers. I relaxed, allowing the deer to leave unscathed. Looking back at my partners, I saw Kyu with that lovely expression of a concerned mother, whereas Sidi was obviously struggling not to pursue his prey. "Thank you," Kyu whispered.

"Still want to hunt?" I asked, worried for her.

She regained her composure. "Yes. Let's just find one that isn't raising children, please."

We set off once more, trying to block out the fresh scent of the doe we encountered as we looked for its brethren. Several minutes passed before we came upon another scent trail. "Do… do you smell that?" I asked, mouth watering.

"Mmm… I smell so many of them!" Kyu seconded. Sidi began panting like a dog… or a fox, I guess. "Let's go!" my love commanded.

We set off on silent paws. The scent only intensified until it was nearly overpowering. That was when we came across a large field of tall grass where at least fifty deer huddled together, grazing the foliage. I had trouble keeping saliva from dripping out of my muzzle. They smelled so… so delicious! We looked back to each other, nodding.

We crept up as close as we could before we were spotted and a deer cried an alarm. Before they could stampede off, I pounced on the nearest deer. To my surprise, I instead fell on a large pair of antlers covered in red leaves. Thankfully, I wasn't gored, but it was not pleasant regardless.

I looked down at my assailant. To my great surprise, I saw a buck standing on his hind hooves. His eyes were far too knowing to be any wild beast, and he wore a brown canvas jacket and jeans. It finally occurred to me that this buck was a hybrid. He dropped me to the ground rather unceremoniously. Beside me, Kyu and Sidi were also grounded, the grass woven tightly around their ankles. Kyu gave a haphazard wave.

"What are you three doing?" He asked. His voice signified him to be an older teen, vibrant and deep.

"We are hunting," Sidi replied simply. "We have already secured the necessary permissions."

"Not from my herd you won't," the deer hybrid warned.

"Your herd?" Kyu questioned.

He looked back to assure himself that his flock was all right. They looked panicked, but otherwise okay. "That's right. We have a symbiotic relationship: I give them protection and they keep me company."

I considered his words. "So you're saying you live out here, away from society?"

The hybrid snorted in a very deer-like way. "Why would anyone want to live with those hairless monsters? I swear, even out here I get some strong words from passing hunters, especially after they murder one of my flock. Everybody hates a hybrid…"

"Don't worry," Kyu promised. "We won't hurt your flock."

"Thanks. My name's Saws, by the way."

"Kyu."

"I'm Eon, and that's Sidi."

Speaking of Sidi, he looked like he was on the verge of a breakdown. "Just one?" He pleaded, licking his muzzle. The deer hybrid glared at him. Sidi's ears pricked as he looked towards a tree away from the deer herd. Before his captor could react, he clawed through his grass fetters and bolted for the tree. He leaped up to a branch at least ten feet in the air, descending with a possum between his jaws. He seemed much more relaxed as he lay in front of his kill and began to tear it apart. Our new friend looked away in disgust.

A gunshot sounded, causing the deer herd to scatter. I cringed at the sound due to my enhanced hearing. Saws said some naughty things. "More hunters!" He shouted, dashing towards the offending noise. We followed after him as the grass unwound itself from Kyu's ankles. "Seriously, this is like the fourth group this week! I'm so tired of dealing with those humans!" He suddenly stumbled as another gunshot sounded. He clutched his hoofed leg where blood pooled around a bullet lodged in his fur. "Ugh, then this keeps happening…" Sunlight began emanating from him, healing the wound. The bullet dropped to the ground. Saws stood up. "What the heck is wrong with you?! Can't you tell I'm not just another deer?!"

A male voice responded, "I know," before another gunshot sounded. Saws yelled in pain, grabbing his chest where a bullet had penetrated. Sidi's bloodstained muzzle contorted with rage as he bolted off. "You 'hybrids' are no better than animals, so you're fair game in my eyes," the hunter continued. "I see no wrong in- ack!" Sidi stood behind a bush, raising the limp body of a human by the collar of his jacket. More gunshots sounded. Sidi turned, rubbing his shoulder where he was shot. "Get them," he instructed, "but don't kill them. We need to be the better species."

"Ha! Better species?" Another voice called. "I've met slugs more civilized than you freaks!" I bolted towards the source, weaving to avoid the gunshots. My evasion was not because I could dodge a bullet, but because it was hard to track a moving target.

"Ditch the jerseys!" Saws called. "They make you an easy target!" I dove behind a tree, practically tearing off my neon orange jersey before making my way towards the jeering hunter. I noticed Kyu dancing towards another hunter, using small flames to distract him. I was suddenly very grateful we practiced putting out fires with will alone because a lot of conflagrations started up. By this point the four hunters had foregone camouflage, rifles aimed directly at us. Despite my best efforts, I flinched as a bullet found its mark on my chest. Although my training had toughened my already inhuman durability, it was still painful to stretch the pierced tissue.

At last I reached my target. I noticed the fear and anger in his eyes before I knocked him out with a blow from my blue-furred hand. To my horror, I heard a sickening _crack!_ as his skull caved in.

I had killed him.

"No!" I heard another human call. "You… you killed my brother, you sick, demonic abomination!" I turned to see him raise the muzzle of his gun in somewhat justifiable anger. "I'll murder you! I'll murder each and every freak of nature you call family!" Less polite words accompanied his bullets. I had no choice but to run as fast as I could to dodge his fire, stopping to catch my breath behind a large tree. I kept replaying the moment in my head: the slow-motion act of my hand penetrating his skull, the loss of life from his fear-stricken eyes, and his final collapse.

The gunshots stopped.

Kyu, Saws, and Sidi approached my shaking form. I was too shocked to cry.

"Did you really kill him?" Kyu whispered. I whimpered in response, curling my tails around me.

"If you didn't look so frightened, I'd probably congratulate you for doing what I could never bring myself to do," Saws mentioned.

Kyu reached behind my tails and scratched the backs of my fox-like ears. I calmed down almost immediately.

"I swear, I didn't mean to kill him, I didn't know my own strength, honestly, I-"

"We believe you," Sidi stopped me.

"It's okay, Eon," Kyu said. "You didn't mean to." She stood up. "Either way, you're obviously in no condition to hunt. Let's get you back." I tried to pull myself together, a task that proved too painful for my grief-stricken mind. Nevertheless, we managed to sniff our way back to the clearing we marked where a few deer lay with gashes in their necks. We sat down to wait for Espy to return, nibbling on a piece of raw venison.

A couple other hybrids arrived, hefting deer larger than themselves; the deer often already had bites taken out of it. Yena came back with her own prey.

"Oh, hey there," she said softly. She dropped the meat onto the pile and walked over to us on grey and black paws. "You okay?" Kyu looked to me.

"I don't want to talk about it," I whispered. And I didn't. I just wished that never happened. While it can be argued that I'm not technically a murderer _per se_ because I killed a different species, I still killed a sentient being. And that was terrifying to me. It was terrifying that I, of all people, would murder someone.

After an eternity of agonizing waiting, Espy came back with her own prey. After tossing it onto the small hill of tantalizing meat, she approached us with concern. "What happened?" She queried.

I took a shaky breath. Espy sat beside me, petting my back. "I'm so sorry to hear that! Are you hurt?"

I finally remembered the bullet lodged an inch or so into my chest, just below my large fluff of chest fur. "Oh, right, I got shot."

The Espeon gave a wry smile. "Not as bad as you thought, eh?"

"I hardly noticed until now, but that might be due to the fact that I'm a murderer."

"Now, now," Kyu voiced, "You didn't mean to kill him. Technically, that's not murder. You were also acting in self-defense; you really had a lot of justification for it." Hearing her kind words soothed me more than any counseling could. Kyu blinked and turned to Espy, eyes wide.

The psychic cat smiled. "I've been in a couple skirmishes with the Plasmid Foundation."

"…Oh. Okay. Anyway, Eon will need some time to cope with this. Could you teleport him back?"

Espy smiled at me. "Sure thing. I'll contact you via telepathy when the feast gets started so you don't miss anything."

My plan for a romantic hunt had failed spectacularly.

* * *

I sat on a stone bench in a park on campus, my tails curled protectively around me. I hugged my knees, trying not to replay the same horrific five seconds and failing marvelously.

"Um… E-Eon?" I heard a gentle voice call. I turned to see Shay stand behind me. She looked away right as I made eye contact.

"Oh. Hey," I replied, dejected.

"Are you okay?"

"I…" I grimaced, tears leaking out of my shut eyes. "I don't want to talk…" I began to sob as I spontaneously told her everything that's concerning me, the murder I committed, my anxiety in loving Kyu, even down to the test in Math I was worried about. Shay sat beside me, petting my fur as I got everything out. She seemed on the verge of tears herself. Eventually I was reduced to shuddering gasps as I finished my story.

"Oh, Eon… If you really love her, than you should just… just t-tell her." She clasped her hands together against her chest, looking down. She shuddered a little before continuing. "You're already good friends with her, so you should just walk up and tell her… how you feel…"

I took a deep breath, exhaling long before replying, "That's a good idea." I closed my eyes, gathering the resolve. "Thanks, Shay. You've been a great friend. I'll tell you how it goes." I stood up only to see Shay burst into tears herself, her verdant eyes hidden behind white-furred hands. After the kindness she showed me, there was no way I could leave her now.

I sat back down, running my hands through her downright gigantic mane of ankle-length green hair. She cried into my shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it?" I offered. She took a deep breath before shaking her head vigorously. "Are you sure?" A smaller nod was my response. "Okay."

I comforted her for a while as her own crying subsided. Although I had no idea what troubled the Shaymin, it was very kind of her to try to help me first. "Thank you again," I had to say.

"I could barely make out the "You're welcome," she whispered into my fluffy shoulder.

As the sun ended its slow descent over the horizon, I heard a commotion at the main plaza. Based on the smells wafting my way, I inferred that the hunting feast had begun.

_The feast is ready,_ a gentle voice confirmed in my mind. Before I could think my thanks, Espy replied, _You're welcome._ I looked at the hybrid resting on my shoulder. I couldn't just leave her. Instead, I gave Shay a big hug, doing my best to assure her that I was here for her, as she had been for me.

Streetlights lining the walkways came on as the sky grew dark. Although the smell of roasting game was tantalizing, I had to stay here with Shay. She stirred, looking up from my fluffy shoulder. It looked almost painful for her to say, "Go on; enjoy the food. I'll be fine." Her short muzzle was still quivering in distress.

I looked to her. "Do you want to come?"

She gave the best smile she could manage, whispering, "No thanks. Herbivore."

"So you're sure you'll be fine?"

"Yes, please, you've done more than enough." She did her best to look cheerful as she stood up. "But I can walk with you… Um, you know, if you want." She ducked her head, although her gaze still met mine.

We followed the concrete pathway back to the main plaza where a large iron grate was suspended over an enormous bonfire. A couple obviously Fire-type hybrids walked around on the grate, ensuring that their prey was perfectly cooked. I turned back to Shay. "Thanks again… for everything," I said, She suddenly hugged me, squeezing tightly. Before I could react, she dashed off towards the girls' dorm. I blinked.

Espy walked up to me. Anticipating my questions, she responded, "This is a feast to celebrate being a carnivore. So… have at it! Find a nice kill and devour it: no forks, no knives- just teeth and claws." She gestured to the bonfire. "If you're feeling a little more civilized, you can always cook your meat there, or share with someone else. We caught more than enough to feed everyone, so just enjoy yourself!"

I smiled and walked on. Sure enough, various carcasses scattered the ground as two or three hybrids gathered around each one, tearing it apart. The smell was so enticing…!

I noticed a small mountain of meat, ranging from deer to waterfowl to even a bear. I hefted out a buck at about twice my size, carrying it over to a vacant space on the ground. I focused my power into a weak fire that cooked the deer from the inside out. I let the fire persist for a couple moments before ending it, tearing apart the hide, and digging into the meat. I tried to let go of my more civilized side and let instinct take over, ripping apart and devouring the rare-cooked venison. Sidi joined me a little while after. We dug in, eating as much as we could hold.

Within a few minutes, my belly protruded noticeably and I could not stomach another bite. I was sated beyond any amount I previously thought possible. I vaguely remembered something about how carnivores can eat an immense amount of food at once… but the thought ended there. My body was too full to think straight. I could hardly move, so I more or less waddled over to a wall where I dozed off…

I started awake due to the silence, ironically. Without the sound of tearing meat, light conversation, and various animal-like cries, my curious mind must have woke me up. Looking about, I noticed it was still the night of the feast, but everyone had turned away from their meals to watch Professor Darck with his wings wide spread, Saws beside him. The Lugia opened his beak, "I wanted to make a quick announcement: This young hybrid is Saws," a couple hybrids said "Hi!" before Darck continued, "Yes, thank you. Anyway, Saws has agreed to attend our school," a soft applause broke out. Professor Darck glared. "If I may finish… thank you. He has agreed to attend if he could bring his herd of deer along. They're extremely important to him. If any of you encounter mule deer roaming the surrounding forest or grounds, they are not to be eaten, harassed, or otherwise hurt or there will be serious consequences. Do you understand?" The congregation voiced their comprehension. "Good! Well, Saws, it looks like you have nothing to worry about; we are a generally trustworthy group." He looked back to his audience. "I just wanted to clear that up. Return to your kills!" The carnivores resumed eating as Saws and Professor Darck made their leave.

Remembering Saws and the hunt, I suddenly realized that I had not talked to Kyu yet. Shay told me that I should tell her how I feel now; there was no reason to wait. If anything else, I hoped she could help me to come to terms with killing that human. My heart began to thud against my chest, as it always did when I thought about my beautiful Ninetales.

I began sniffing frantically to pick up a scent of Kyu. My ears perked as her scent of mahogany mixed with mint and a natural yet lovely fox odor reached my canine nostrils. I followed her trail around the main plaza, finding where she had eaten and where she had lingered. Eventually the trail led me away to the park I was in, albeit in a different direction. There it met up with Hope's scent. I wondered what they were doing together; I just hoped he had left by now so I can talk to Kyu in privacy.

The scent was stronger now. I raced along its path… only to stop dead in my tracks when I saw Kyu sitting on a stone bench, her precious tails enfolding Hope in their coveted embrace. I heard Hope sobbing, "I can still feel it! I remember every wound I inflicted; I feel it tear into my own flesh as if I was being attacked. It hurts so much…!" He took a ragged gasp before resting his face into the thick fur of Kyu's tails. She stroked the back of his neck lovingly.

"It's all right, Hope. It's all over now. You don't have to hurt anyone ever again."

I barely heard his response. "Actually… I do." Kyu looked up and gasped as she saw my hurt expression.

"E-Eon! I didn't notice you! Okay, I know this looks bad… Uh, well… …Eon, I believe you've met my boyfriend, Hope." She grimaced. Tears welled in my eyes. Any stability I had regained from talking with Shay shattered.

"But… I'm the only other Ninetales in this school; maybe even the world! How can we not be together?"

"Hybrid romance doesn't work like that! While it's very lucky to find another member of your species, that doesn't mean you need to be together! Most hybrids pair with a different hybrid species" She looked down at the Absol and smiled. "I've been in love with Hope since before you got here. Your being a Ninetales doesn't change anything."

"But… I…"

"I know you love me. I've known the moment I looked into your eyes and matched your emotions when I trained you. I just didn't want to break your heart!" My vision blurred. Kyu whimpered and looked away. "Hope, why didn't you warn either of us? This is the one thing I wanted to avoid!"

"It… was… necessary…" he spoke, looking up with red, puffy eyes. "I can't explain, but it had to happen this way." His eyes filled with more tears as he looked down. "Forgive me."

I could barely think, stunned by what just happened. Before I knew it, I was running into the surrounding forest.

"Eon! Wait!" Kyu called. I did not turn around.

I stumbled through the woods, trying desperately to escape everything that had happened to me. I tripped and fell a few times due to my blurry vision, startling the local wildlife. Eventually I made my way to an old wooden bridge across a cold, deep river. I rested myself against the guard rail of the bridge, panting heavily. The damp wood looked quite solid despite its clear age.

Images shot through my mind: a cracked skull, a thousand dashed fantasies, an enraged brother, her beautiful, golden-white fur, the spark of life disappearing from his eyes, her beautiful red eyes… it was all too much!

I fell backwards, clutching my head in agony. I was a murderer. I had lost my chance with the most beautiful hybrid in the world. In fact, I never had a chance with her in the first place! _How can I live with this?!_ I questioned myself.

My ears perked as I heard the water rush below me. A dangerous idea formed in my mind. My frantic mind tried desperately to push it out, to forget it, but it had taken hold deep in my brain. My heart pounded in my chest as I stood up, looking down at the water. Ever since I became a hybrid, water had been too painful to touch.

_Maybe I don't have to live with this…_

Kyu finally caught up to me. "Eon! Don't!" she pleaded.

I leaned over the guardrail.

Every nerve in my body registered extreme agony as the frigid water doused my life force…

…The world grew dark…

* * *

Author's Note: I'll upload the next chapter in a week or so.


	14. Chapter 14- Eon

Chapter 14- Eon

"Eon! Don't!" I pleaded. I ran as fast as I could, but he had already made his decision. He fell into the deep water with a terrifying splash. I stopped by the edge. As much as I wanted to save him, I couldn't jump in after him; that would kill us both.

I pressed my hands against my fluffy chest, tears clouding my vision as I watched his writhing, silver body be carried downstream. I fell to my knees, sobbing. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry… I never wanted this…"

Overcome with grief, I sat for what felt like an eternity. Sometime during my mourning, my wonderful Absol sat beside me, stroking my tails. I loved it when he did that. Eon did his best that one time but… ah… Hope always got it just right. I was soon reduced to quivering gasps.

"He'll be fine, Kyu," Hope told me.

"How can he? He _jumped into a river!_"

"I can't explain, but I know he'll be fine."

I wrapped my tails around him. "It's really sweet of you to try to comfort me, but I know he's dead. It's… okay…" I burst into a new round of tears. It wasn't okay. It wasn't okay _at all_. One of my best friends was dead! Ever since I transformed him, I kind of took responsibility for him. I guess that's why he fell in love with me, considering how often we were together. Oh, why didn't I tell him before?!

It was my turn to be comforted. I pressed my face against Hope's musky collar of white fur. I felt his tears leak into my fur as we mourned the loss of our friend.

"It's getting late," he whispered. "How about we sleep for now?"

"Don't leave me…" I pleaded.

He stood up, pulling me into a hug. "I would never leave you."

We walked together back to the campus park. I couldn't bear to be separated from my white-furred lover, so we made the earth our bed instead of separating to go to our dorms. I instinctively circled a patch of grass on all fours a couple times before curling up against Hope. Despite my grief, I soon fell asleep.

Blinking away my sleepiness, I stirred, brushing against the fluffy fur of my love. I heard his heartbeat speed up as he awoke as well. Together we sat on the wintry grass, watching the sun rise over the school. Neither of us said anything.

At least, for a while. "If I could have done anything different, I would have told him the moment I knew of his crush on me. Letting it build was an awful idea…"

Hope nuzzled my cheek. "It's okay. We all make mistakes. He'll be fine, I promise."

I licked his muzzle. "What do you think the afterlife is like? Is there a special place in Heaven for hybrids?"

"I think the general consensus is that it's better than here, at least."

"I hope so."

"I hope so, too." We nuzzled again as the sky brightened.

We made our way back to the main plaza solemnly. Matthew flew towards us from the direction of the boys' dorm. "Have you guys seen Eon anywhere? Vee's letting me play Minecraft today and I really, really want to play with him!"

"Eon's dead," I said.

Matthew fell to the ground, landing on his haunches. His bright blue eyes grew wide even as they filled with tears. "No… You're lying!"

"I watched him jump in the river. He killed himself when he found out I was dating Hope."

"You are?! Why didn't you tell me?!" The ground beneath him cracked as he lost control of his psychic power. "This is all your fault! I hate you! I hate you!" I winced at that. He buried his face in his hands, crying hysterically. "Now I'm never gonna see him again because of _you_!" Guilt began to overwhelm me again as tears once more welled in my eyes. Hope quickly reached behind me and petted my tails, calming me immediately.

The Absol looked over to Matthew. "You need to forgive her. Trust me, it only hurts more to feel angry. The sooner you forgive, the sooner you can feel better." He took a breath. "I don't know what happened, but I know Eon's fine, wherever he is. Can you trust me?"

The Mew sniffed. "Okay. Sorry, Kyu." He bowed his head floated before me. I scratched his feline ears, eliciting a giggle. "Stop it; that tickles!" He pawed away my fingers before returning to his grief.

We found a bench to sit on as we thought over our brief yet wonderful friendship with Eon. "I remember how he wasn't mad at me at all when I first turned him into a Ninetales. I was so afraid he would hate me for it, but he took it so well," I honored him.

"He never ever ever called me annoying. Not even once. He always was okay with playing with me, especially last week when we played Mario Kart. That was so fun," Matthew recounted.

"Most people don't really notice me. He always did. He always tried to make me feel better," Hope lauded.

"Hey… um… are you guys talking about Eon?" A quiet voice behind us queried. I turned and saw Shay holding a pair of hedge clippers in one hand and a flower in the other. "I wanted to give him this orchid I bred myself to say thanks for last night" The silver-colored flower had blue tips and nine long, thin petals. It was astonishing how closely it resembled his tails. My heart sank as I realized he would never get this gift.

I looked away. "Eon committed suicide." I heard the clippers bang against the concrete.

"…He didn't!"

"He did. I'm sorry, Shay." She was more upset than any of us. She sank to her knees, bawling uncontrollably. Hope hugged the Shaymin before running off. I suppose he couldn't handle all the grief what with his empathy and all.

I took Shay into my arms and did my best to comfort her as she cried for several minutes. "He jumped into the river when he learned I was already in a relationship with Hope. I'm sorry."

She gasped before lamenting, "If only I had known! I'm not going to blame you, Kyu, but really! Couldn't you have been a little nicer?" She whimpered in an animal-like way. "Now he's gone and there's nothing we can do. If only I had told him, maybe he wouldn't have gone and killed himself! Oh, why…"

"Tell me what?" a familiar voice asked. Shay gasped. I looked up to see Eon accompanied by Hope. He gave a bittersweet smile as he waved, tails held high.

Earlier that morning…

The first thing I noticed was that I was coughing fiercely to get water out of my lungs. The next thing I noticed was that I was awake. I opened my eyes to see that I was on a rocky clearing near a riverbank. A campfire crackled between me and a deer-like hybrid. Unlike Saws, the only word I could use to describe him was… _majestic. _A soft glow emanated from his blue fur and eight crystalline, unbranching antlers. However, while Suicuna's crystal horn was a light blue, his antlers shimmered in every color of the rainbow. The hybrid smiled.

"Hello, Eon," he spoke in a somewhat deep, caring voice.

"Am I in Heaven?" I questioned, looking for some sign that I had come through the pearly gates.

My companion shook his head. "I can see why you'd think that, but no."

I eyed him suspiciously. "Am I in Hell?"

He laughed in a golden, perfect voice. "No, my friend! You are still alive!"

My eyes widened. "B-but how?! I _drowned_ myself! …Did you save me?"

He winked mysteriously. "You could say that. You see, I made you immortal."

I blinked, letting that sink in. "You're joking. There's no way someone could be immortal. It's impossible. Besides, I've gotten hurt plenty of times!"

He raised a finger, "But you've never died. Injury and death aren't the same." He stood, reaching into his pocket. "This might be a little uncomfortable; forgive me, please." Without warning, he drove a knife through my neck. I fell unconscious immediately.

I got up on my elbows, blinking open my eyes. The sun hung high above me. My assailant sat across the same campfire, serene as ever. "See?" He said. "You should have died, but you recovered regardless. Hybrid healing and hybrid lifespans are remarkable, but once you're dead, you're dead." He smiled. "But I am a special case. I can't die, and I can share that gift with you.

"Isn't it any wonder you changed your name to Eon? I put that name in your mind when you transformed because that's how long you'll live: Eons; eons upon eons. For as long as this world persists, so shall you." My jaw dropped. I was going to live forever? That seemed a little too long.

Though… as the implications sank in, my heart pounded in excitement. I could attempt any challenge. I could take any hit. I could do whatever I want, because _I couldn't die_.

Risk no longer existed in my life.

I felt totally overwhelmed, causing me to fall back on my tails. "Why me?" I questioned.

The hybrid smiled. "The world will need a hybrid like you. You have the right mindset to be immortal- you can live eternity content with what you have. Tell me: what do you want? Fame? Fortune? World domination?"

I looked down. I sighed. "All I want is to wrap my tails around Kyu, lick her muzzle, and tell her that I love her. And then… And then I want to hear that she loves me, too!" I squeezed my eyes shut, tears leaking out. "But she already loves someone else. I have nothing to live for! That's why I tried to kill myself!"

My benefactor walked to me and put a glowing hand on my shoulder. "And now that you're alive, what will you do?"

My eyes opened. I pondered his question. "I… I guess I'll go back. I'll make myself an asset to the school, now that I can do whatever I want safely." I smiled, trying to let go of my affection for the most perfect, most beautiful, most wonderful fox hybrid in the world. I tried to think of other things. "The Plasmid Foundation had better watch out- they literally can't beat me!" I grimaced as I tried unsuccessfully to push out thoughts of Kyu. "Who am I kidding? I'm a wreck! Why should I bother at all? Without Kyu, life, even endless life, is meaningless!"

The deer hybrid smiled softly as he stroked my fur. "Something I have learned over the millennia: 'This too, shall pass.' Whatever troubles you will fade, just like everything else. It may seem important now, but soon it won't matter. Relax, Eon."

I took a deep breath. "Thanks, um… what's your name?"

"I? I am Xerneas."

"Thanks, Xerneas." We sat for a few moments as I composed myself. "You know, if I had understood that, I probably wouldn't have tried to kill myself."

"Immortality is convenient, yes?"

"Yeah. …Aw, crap. I just realized something."

"Oh?"

"I tried to kill myself, and I ended up finding out I'm immortal. That sets a terrible example for anyone thinking about doing the same."

"Then repeat my wisdom: 'This, too, shall pass.' In doing so, they can find peace."

"Good idea. 'This, too, shall pass.' Okay. I won't let you down."

"I'm sure you won't."

"So how do I get back?"

"Follow the river back to the bridge you found. You can get back by scent from there."

"Okay. …Will I ever see you again?"

"Definitely. I'll stay nearby as often as I can. Actually, go ahead and take my email address as well."

"Wait, what?"

"My email address. Will that work for you?"

"Yeah, just… you seem like this ancient sage who only appears in the nick of time to deliver cryptic advice. Email is just too convenient."

He laughed softly. "That sounds extremely annoying. No, I have lived for thousands of years, but that's no excuse not to keep up with new technology. Here, take this." He handed me a slip of paper with an email written in flowing, calligraphic text.

"I'll write you soon. …Hey, how long have I been out?"

"It's only the next day. Are you ready to go back?"

I leaned back on my elbows. "So, to recap, I killed someone, my crush was already in a relationship, and I'm going to live with that forever- literally."

"Exactly!"

"Then I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Thanks again for saving me, Xerneas."

"You're quite welcome."

I set off, following the river upstream. Xerneas sat by the fire, waving goodbye.

I spent a good hour walking along the river as I contemplated my new, endless future. I resolved to go skydiving without a parachute, for one thing. It'll probably hurt, but hey. I _can_. I can improve and progress in my fiery talents forever. Just for fun, I translated that into Latin as I was studying it. _Ignem Progressionis Infinitum_: Infinite Fiery Progression.

I also realized that everyone I know and love will die, and I will remain. That was a sobering thought; it puts a new take on "This, too, shall pass." Then again, maybe if I find a mate that I would want to live with forever, Xerneas can make her immortal, too. I'd rather not face the alternative: a lifetime of infinite promiscuity.

Returning to more current matters, I returned to the bridge where I tried to take my life. To my surprise, I found Hope sitting on the damp wood as if he was waiting for me. As I made eye contact, he stood up and ran towards me, embracing me in a tight hug.

"I'm so, so, sorry I had to do that to you! You know I hate hurting people. Please forgive me!"

I returned his hug. "Wait… you knew?"

"I foresaw it. This future was the least painful for you… even if it was most painful for me."

I smiled, once more humbled by his selflessness. "Then you have no reason to be sorry. In fact, I appreciate you doing this for me." I extricated myself from his furry arms.

He sighed. "Ok. Thanks. Now hurry- you're making a lot of people very miserable. They all think you're dead."

I hadn't even considered how others would feel if I had died. "You're right, let's go!" We sprinted back to the school, bursting out into the park only a couple minutes later. I sniffed the air, looking for Kyu. After she saw my suicide attempt, I can only imagine the guilt she must have felt even though it wasn't her fault. I caught that wondrous scent of mahogany and mint and ran after it. I began to feel winded right as I rounded a corner and found her in the main plaza. Beside her was Matthew, feline head hung low, and Shay, who was sobbing on Kyu's shoulder. Kyu didn't see us, focused on her friend.

I could barely make out the Shaymin's quiet voice. "If only I had known! I'm not going to blame you, Kyu, but really! Couldn't you have been a little nicer?" She whimpered in an animal-like way. "Now he's gone and there's nothing we can do. If only I had told him, maybe he wouldn't have gone and killed himself! Oh, why…"

Wow. I didn't know she cared that much. I finally spoke up, "Tell me what?"

She gasped, looking up from Kyu's shoulder. Kyu's ears perked as she looked to me, eyes wide. I gave a bittersweet smile as I waved, tails held high. Matthew shot up ten feet in the air in surprise. "Eon?!" They cried in unison.

"But I _watched_ you kill yourself! What happened?" Kyu questioned.

"As it turns out, I'm- oof!" Shay collided with me, knocking us to the ground in a hug.

"I love you, Eon, I really love you! Ever since I saw you when you first arrived here I've been trying to work up the courage to tell you- that's what I should have said! I didn't think this would happen between you and Kyu, but I'm not taking any more chances!" I've never heard her so emphatic about anything.

We stood up as she took my blue-furred hands in her white-furred ones, staring into my eyes with her forest-green irises. She leaned close to me. "I know you love Kyu. But if you can find it in your heart, can you at least give me a chance?"

I opened and closed my muzzle several times without saying anything as Kyu and Matthew watched in silence. I was stunned by her confession. I looked into her quivering eyes as I thought deep about this situation. My decision was soon clear: I didn't want her to go through what I did. "Um… next Saturday, after the tournament round- do you want to watch a movie and maybe get something to eat?"

She inhaled sharply, verdant eyes wide, before hugging me tighter than before. I returned her embrace, feeling just a little proud of myself.

While we hugged, Kyu walked over to us, tails swaying behind her. "So how did you survive?"

I finally broke the news. "I'm immortal."

"…What." Matthew said with his sky-blue eyes wide.

I laughed for the first time in a while. "I'm immortal! I couldn't kill myself if I wanted to! Granted, I didn't know that until, like, an hour ago, but a hybrid named Xerneas-"

"No freaking way…" Kyu said in awe. "You met Xerneas?!"

"You know him?"

"He's a freaking legend!" She explained emphatically. "Meeting him is like meeting the president, or Stephen Hawking, or, Ghandi, or, or,"

"Or Miley Cyrus!" Matthew blurted. We stared at him. "What?"

"Um, so, yeah. He explained that I was, in fact, immortal, because I could handle it or something. He also gave me his email address-"

"He WHAT?!" Matthew flew into me, separating me from Shay. "Gimme gimme gimme!" He demanded, pawing at my pockets.

"Whoa, whoa! Calm down! I don't think I should be handing out someone else's email, but I can ask if you want."

The Mew stepped- er, floated back. "Okay. Thanks."

"Um… Eon?" Shay called.

"Yes, Shay?"

She handed me a silver, nine-petal flower that bore a strong resemblance to my tails. "I bred this flower just for you." She scuffed the ground with a paw, looking down. "…D-do you like it?"

I smiled, lifting her muzzle. I smelled the sweet flower. "It's beautiful. Thank you." Her muzzle opened in an excited smile. Her enormous mane shook back and forth, evidence of her little tail wagging.

I looked over to Kyu. She was so beautiful, but… I guess, so was Shay.

"Hey, Eon!" Matthew shouted excitedly. "We need to go play Minecraft to celebrate!"

"Minecraft? I thought Vee didn't let you play that."

"I know, but he says it's his treat this weekend; c'mon! I have an extra computer we can use."

He rocketed off towards the boys' dorm… only to stop halfway and come back. "And, uh… you three can play, too, if you have the game."

"I've got an account," Kyu said.

"I can watch," Shay offered.

"I'll play," Hope said.

"Oh! I know: we should invite Vulcan! That way we can all win together!" Matthew exclaimed. He teleported away. We looked at each other, unsure of how to proceed.

"So should we…" Kyu began before Matthew reappeared in a flash of light, this time accompanied by Vulcan. The two Psychic-types both floated and grinned, excited for the game.

"I heard you guys were playing Minecraft. Mind if I join?" Vulcan asked.

"Not at all!" I said. "I'm sure we'll have great luck with you playing with us."

"Not like you have a choice; you have to win if you play with me," he replied.

I laughed a little. "Sounds good to me."

Matthew flew towards his dorm room with Vulcan and Shay in tow. I started after them only to be pulled back by Kyu. She gave me a big hug, wrapping her tails around me just like I had fantasized about. It was wonderful.

"I'm glad you're back," she whispered. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier."

I enfolded her with my own tails.

Hope, Kyu, and I set off a little more leisurely. Kyu parted from Hope and me, explaining that she needed to go get her own laptop and she'd meet up with us in just a bit.

Matthew had rearranged his dorm room for this event, as evident by a couple long tables along a wall with extension cords snaking around them. Vulcan, Matthew, and Vee had already begun to set up, loading the game on their computers.

"Here's your computer, Eon," Matthew said, pointing to a large monitor beside his. The Minecraft logo was prominently displayed on-screen. "Okay; I'll generate a new world and you guys join in." He began clicking frantically, instructing the game to randomly build a pixelated world for us to explore. Navigating the menus, I managed to link my game to his so we could play together. Vulcan and Vee soon appeared in the game as well.

Vee instructed rapid-fire, "All right, guys. We will do this fast, and we will be efficient! First order of business- punch down some trees, craft a pickaxe, mine some stone, craft a stone axe, cut down _more_ trees, craft a furnace, cook some charcoal, craft a stone sword, get some meat, craft some torches, and go mining- I'll tell you what to do from there."

I stifled a laugh. "Okay. I'll do… all that." Having played Minecraft before, I managed to keep up with his requests. I set off to work. As I began mining for stone, I heard a scuffing sound behind me. I turned to see Shay edging her chair closer to me for a better look at what I was doing. She ducked her head, blushing through her white fur. I smiled and turned back to my game.

"Hey, Vulcan, what are you doing?" Vee asked. I moved my avatar over too Vee's. The blocky avatar representing Vee peered down a hole in the earth.

"Well, you see, Vee, I decided to go straight for mining. Already I've found some coal and iron, so give me a few moments to smelt that." We waited. I heard his hind paw thud frantically against the carpet. "Gah! This is taking too long. Mm...

"Finally! Okay, now I'll make an iron pickaxe- oh, hey, look at that! Diamonds!" My jaw dropped. He randomly found diamonds- the rarest and most useful ore in the game- in five minutes?! It takes me at least an hour to come across the 16-bit jewels!

"Now I'll just mine this obsidian I just found… Agh! Holy crap mining obsidian takes freaking forever I mean I looked it up and it takes ten seconds to mine each block with a diamond pick _ten seconds_ seriously who has the patience to mine one block let alone ten for the Nether Portal I mean come on this has got to be the most boring part of the entire game sure obsidian is useful and all and completely bomb-proof but do you really have to make it so darn hard to mine… hey, whaddya know? I'm done!" I face pawed. "Now I'll just use this flint I happened upon along with my iron to ignite it and there we go! Into the depths of Hell itself I shall venture!" For reference, yes: the Nether Portal is a portal to Hell- or the "Nether", depending on your preference.

"Aww, yes! Nether fortress! We'll be in the End in no time!" Finding a structure called a nether fortress is a crucial and… normally difficult part of completing the game. So of course Vulcan's god-like luck kicks in and he finds one immediately.

"Blaze, thy name is ruin; Hyaa!" I suppose that was a battle cry. I chuckled.

Considering all the plot-related aspects of the game were covered, I turned to more… domestic tasks. The biggest draw of the game was building- if you can imagine it, you can build it.

"All right, then. I'll start working on a mansion for us to live in."

"Thanks, Eon," Vee replied. "Here; let me get you some iron tools to get you started."

Kyu and Hope entered, carrying their own laptops. "Hey, you guys!" Kyu exclaimed.

"Hi, Kyu!" Matthew replied. "As you can see, Vulcan's already gotten plenty of blaze rods-"

"And seven wither skeleton skulls!" (Another extremely rare item- significantly rarer than diamonds.)

"And seven-"

"Eight, now!"

"Eight wither skulls," Matthew finished, laughing.

"Dang! Well done, Vulcan!"

"You know I can't lose."

"Well, yeah, just… accept the darned compliment!" Kyu stammered out. Vulcan giggled in response.

Hope logged on and directed his character over the mansion I was building. I wasn't all that good at building, so my framework implied a crude structure.

"Would you like me to help?" He offered.

"Sure, I can't say I'm too good at building. Are you any good?"

"I think so. Can I give it a shot?"

"Okay! What do you want me to do?"

Hope deliberated within himself for a few moments before giving me a list of materials to collect. It was quite a list, ranging from lava to wool to jungle tree leaves. Nevertheless, I collected some food from the farm Matthew had begun and set off on my quest. Two in-game days later (about an hour) and Vulcan had declared that we were ready to fight the final boss- the Ender Dragon.

"Also I have a full set of diamond armor for each of you." I face pawed again.

As any experienced Minecraft player can tell you, the final boss was… uneventful. We mostly just pelted it with arrows whenever it came within range, which is even less exciting than it sounds. Nevertheless, it was an accomplishment, even if Vulcan trivialized it.

With the newfound wealth the End dimension granted us, we redoubled our efforts to design an amazing mansion. Hope's design was… _astounding_. The group mansion had multiple wings with high ceilings, four grandiose floors, and beautiful grounds around it.

"This… this is incredible! How'd you do this?!"

He ducked his head shyly. "I want to be an architect. Minecraft is good practice."

I patted his back. "You're doing fantastic."

"Thanks."

A knock at the door made my pointed ears perk. Matthew floated over to admit entrance to, of all people, Professor Darck and a very disconcerted human police officer.

"Eon," the Lugia called in a worried voice. "We need to talk to you."

"Hey, what's a human doing here? Eon, is he your dad or something?" Matthew commented. I shook my head, bewildered, as I accompanied the two into the hallway. Johiko closed the door.

"Now, Eon, this will be a little uncomfortable for you. Please, just cooperate and I promise: everything will be fine."

The officer took a deep breath. "Lotus Kelvin, I am placing you under arrest for charges of the voluntary manslaughter of Jeremy Halls. You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to an attorney. Anything you say can and will be used against you in court of law."

My heartbeat quickened. "Wh-what?"

Johiko placed a reassuring wing on my shoulder. "Do as he says. I'll get you through this. Also, officer, be mindful of his tails. He doesn't like them being touched."

I let the policeman handcuff me and lead me to his car. Professor Darck took off above us as he drove, keeping his psychic presence in my mind to calm me. We soon arrive at the police station.

"You'll remain here overnight as we contact your parents and arrange the hearing," the officer explained. "Don't worry- you haven't been found guilty of anything yet. This is mostly a formality to prevent people from escaping their trial, and I'm sure you're a trustworthy kid. C'mon. Let's go." I was guided to a cell. It was mostly barren- a cot, a toilet, and a couple of magazines were the only furnishings. Johiko soon made his way into my room.

I sat on the cot as he asked, "So what happened?"

I took a deep breath. "When we went hunting on Friday, Kyu, Sidi, Saws, and I were attacked by hunters. Sidi told us to incapacitate them to stop them from trying to shoot us with their rifles. I tried to knock one of them out, but I hit too hard and… he died…" My ears fell back in shame.

"So you were being shot at entirely unprovoked, and you retaliated in self-defense with the intent to knock out, but not kill."

"Yes."

"Hmm…" The Lugia sat next to me, eliciting some dangerous creaking noises from the cot as he contemplated my situation. "So you did kill him."

"Yes, but I didn't mean to! Honest!"

"I believe you. Besides, it's a little hard to lie to a Psychic." He smiled with his beak, eliciting a small grin from me. "Will you be okay tonight?"

I sighed. "Sure hope so."

"Then we'll get this all sorted out tomorrow." He patted my back in a rather fatherly way. "Have a good night, Eon."

"You, too, Professor Darck." The door closed behind him, leaving me alone. Or so I thought.

_Eon?_ I heard Matthew's voice in my head. _Where'd ya go, buddy?_

_I was arrested for voluntary manslaughter._

I could hear him laugh. _No, really, where are you?_ I tried to force it into his mind that I was serious. _Oh. Um… what the heck?_

_Kyu can explain. I don't want to talk about it._

_Okay._ _BRB!_

_Did you really just think "be right back" as an abbreviation?_ A melodious psychic laugh was my response. I reclined on the simple cot as our telepathic connection was severed. I took a deep breath as I tried to relax.

_So you have nothing to worry about! Good to hear!_ Matthew reestablished our connection.

_Keep in mind that I _did _kill someone. Involuntary manslaughter is still a crime._

_That's stupid. If you didn't mean to, then can't you just say that you're sorry?_

_Court doesn't work that way, Matthew._

_Well I'm gonna fix that as soon as possible. Oh- Shay wants to talk to you._

_Sure._

_Eon?_ The Grass-type whispered, using Matthew as an intermediary. Even her internal voice was quiet.

_Hey Shay._

_Y-you'll be fine, right? I don't want you to go to jail!_ Her mental voice broke up. I could feel her worry projected through Matthew. _Please, promise me you'll take me out this Saturday no matter what. Promise me!_

…_I promise._

_Thank you… Have a good night, Eon. …I love you._

_Nighty-night!_ Matthew thought.

_Good night, you two. _

The next morning, I heard keys jingling in the lock on my door.

"Good morning, Mr. Kelvin. Your hearing will be today. Please come with me." The police officer from last night pocketed the keys. If he was disturbed by my vulpine appearance like my humans, he was hiding it stoically. I stood up and stepped out of the cell. "Now allow me to put these on you," he said, handcuffing me. I cooperated. "Thank you. Follow me." We walked to his car. I sat in the back as he drove us to a courthouse.

"Your hearing will be behind closed doors; you don't have to worry about anyone finding out about this. You won't have a trial by jury; instead it'll just be you, the judge, your parents, and an attorney if you obtain one."

"Thank you, officer."

Within the courthouse I was directed to a large room. There were many empty benches, along with an empty jury box. The only occupants were a transcriber seated at a laptop, Professor Darck, my mom, and the brother of the hunter I killed- the same one who tried to kill me. He saw me and smirked. My fur stood on end as I growled.

"Sir? Is there a problem?" The officer asked.

I blinked and shook my head, allowing my fur to resume its normal state. "It's nothing. Sorry, officer."

I was lead to a bench on the front row beside my Mom and Professor Darck.

"All rise for the honorable Judge Meese," the transcriber instructed. "You may be seated." The doors thudded closed. "December 7, 2014: Aaron Halls verses Lotus Kelvin. Court is now in session!"

* * *

**Author's note: Surprise! I couldn't stand the wait of a whole week, so... early chapter! Now that school's out I can upload two chapters a week per story... yes, per story. If you haven't read Pokemon: Grey Version, I would appreciate it if you checked it out! It's about a Latios hybrid in the actual Pokemon world.**

**Anyway, yes, Eon is immortal. No, he's not overpowered. Trust me. Weren't expecting that, were you? :3**


	15. Chapter 15- Johiko Darck- Ace Attorney

Chapter Fifteen- Johiko Darck, Ace Attorney

"Lotus Kelvin, you have been accused of the voluntary manslaughter of Jeremy Halls. How do you plead?"

_Not guilty_, Johiko instructed telepathically.

"Not guilty," I repeated out loud.

"Very well." The judge looked to Halls. "Do you have any opening statements, Mr. Halls?"

"Yes, your honor," he replied, standing. "I watched this abomination-"

"Sir, I will not stand for such language in my court. Please rephrase that sentence."

"Fine. I watched this… hybrid murder my brother with my own eyes. We posed no threat to him whatsoever. His attack was unprompted and deserves to be punished."

"And Professor Darck, I understand you represent Mr. Kelvin?"

"I do, your honor."

"Proceed with your opening statements."

"Of course, your honor. While I will concede that young Eon- sorry, Lotus, was directly responsible for Jeremy Halls's death, it was in no way voluntary or intended. He was acting purely in self defense."

"See? His own _lawyer_ admits it! This trial-"

Judge Meese banged his gavel against the stand. "Order! Please do not speak out of turn, Mr. Halls. …Now. We will proceed with the examination of this case. Mr. Halls, what have you to present?"

"A witness, your honor. I call Lotus Kelvin to the stand."

Professor Darck put a wing on my back. "Get up there. You'll be okay."

I stood and walked to the stand beside the judge, my claws clacking against the tile. All of us swore to tell the truth, the whole truth, etc, etc, before my accuser affixed me with a look of complete loathing. I was a little intimidated; I petted one of my tails nervously.

"Mr. Kelvin, is it true that you killed my brother, Jeremy Halls?"

"…Yes."

"Then why would you think you aren't guilty for such a crime?"

"I killed him purely in self-defense. You and your brother were shooting at me and my friends; we didn't intend to kill- just knock you out so we could get away."

"Is this true, Mr. Halls?"

He raised his hands. "Of course not, your honor. He's obviously making up all of this."

"So you deny that you attacked him in any way to provoke him?" Professor Darck clarified.

"Yes, Professor Darck, I do."

"Very well."

"Have you any further questions, Mr. Halls?" the judge inquired.

"Yes sir. Mr. Kelvin, if you really intended to simply knock out my brother as you claimed, why did you strike him so hard his skull cracked?"

"I honestly did not know my own strength. I was transformed into a hybrid just this September; I haven't had much experience with my new power- anyone I fought since then has been another hybrid, who all have greater fortitude than any human."

"You _became_ a hybrid? That's preposterous."

"Objection, Mr. Halls," Darck interjected.

"Yes?" He conceded grudgingly.

"Hybrid transformation is entirely possible. Advanced genetic therapy has proven it, at least in theory. However, Lotus was transformed by another hybrid by the name of Kyu Sol." My heart skipped a beat at the name.

"You can't prove that."

"Mr. Halls, is the validity of the defendant's backstory relevant to this case?" Judge Meese queried.

"Yes, your honor, I believe it is."

"Either way, your honor, I can provide evidence to support this claim. Mr. Kelvin, what happened when you were transformed?"

I thought for a moment. "Well, one night, my dog got out of our house. When I was tracking him down, I stumbled into one of Kyu's tails. I thought nothing of it at the time, but I guess that was when she cursed me. Anyway, I found my dog asleep, and went back home. I felt really, really tired as I went to my bedroom. Then I began to transform. It was kind of painful, to be honest. When I had finished, Kyu was in my room. She apologized and tried to change me back in vain, so I had to come to terms with this new body. And… yeah. That's how I became a Ninetales."

"What species was your dog?"

"Beagle."

Matthew, Vulcan, and Kyu suddenly teleported in. Kyu was still in her pajamas; she blinked sleepily. Vulcan placed a furry hand on her back, causing her eyes to widen and her ears to perk as she was filled with energy. Vulcan waved as he and Matthew disappeared in a flash of light.

"WhatdoyouneedProfessorDarckI'mherejustlikeyouasked!"

"Calm down, my dear! I need you to testify for Eon."

She nodded, composing herself. "Right." Kyu and I traded places as I sat and she stood before us, swearing to tell the truth like I did.

Johiko stood to face her. "Miss Sol, did you transform Lotus Kelvin, known to you as Eon, from a human into a hybrid?

"Yes sir."

"And when did this occur?"

"I think it was in September, right?"

"Could you elaborate for us, please?"

"Yes sir. I was playing Hide and Seek with some friends; Matthew teleported me to Georgia near Eon's home. I guess he was looking for his beagle, because I found it and put it to sleep. A little later, he jumped into one of my tails. Without thinking, I cursed him to become a Ninetales like me. After realizing that I just screwed over a total stranger, I ran after him. I put his mom to sleep and watched as he finished transforming. He freaked out a little when he saw me. I felt so bad for him, so I let him touch my tails to change him back… but nothing happened. I started panicking, but after I talked to him about it for a while, he said he liked it. That made me feel better."

"Thank you. Now, would you like to stay or return home?"

"I'd like to stay." She looked at me. "You know; if it's okay with you."

I nodded perhaps a little too emphatically.

"Hold on," Aaron Halls spoke out, "I have a few questions for you, freak."

The judged banged his gavel louder than before. Kyu and I both pulled our ears back in pain. "Mr. Halls! I have already warned you about use of language in this court! Keep it up and I may dismiss this whole trial for your unruly conduct!"

"Sorry, your honor," he grumbled.

"Proceed with your questioning."

"Miss Sol, by what method did you transform Mr. Kelvin?"

"Well, that would be my tails. I'm rather protective of them, and I instinctively curse whoever touches them. Eon touched one, so I cursed him to become a Ninetales like me."

"Are these curses reversible?"

"Yes, with the exception of Eon's."

"And why is that?"

"I… I don't know honestly." I could feel her anger towards this human who attacked us both, but she did an amazing job of staying cordial. "I guess my power touched him too deeply, as if it was meant to happen."

"Fine. Can you demonstrate this power?"

"I suppose, but I'd need someone to curse."

"I'll volunteer," my mom said.

Kyu was taken aback. "Ms. Kelvin, are you sure?"

"I'll be fine! You said the curses are reversible, right?"

Kyu and Mom stepped to face each other; Kyu's claws were the only sound in the courtroom. Kyu took a breath. "Now, then Ms. Kelvin, how would you like to transform today?"

Mom looked back to Professor Darck. "Can you make me a Lugia like him?"

"Oh! Um… I hope so." She took a deep breath, steeling herself. I understood how hard it was for her to let someone touch her tails. "You ready?"

"I'm ready."

"Oh, you may want to take off your shoes. I don't know if Lugia paws will fit in them," Kyu advised. My mom complied. Mr. Halls snorted.

Kyu swept her tails over my mom. Judge Meese leaned in for a closer look. Aaron Halls watch with disdain.

My mother's skin turned a silver grey. She watched as her hands and arms elongated into the fingered wings Professor Darck had. Her face pushed forward into a beak even as a long, spiked tail pushed out of her back, ripping a hole in her jeans. "This feels really weird," she spoke with her new beak. It was obviously a challenge for her. A spiked "mask" of red plating grew around each of her eyes as ten red plates ripped out the back of her formal-looking shirt. Her feet grew wider and longer, toes fusing to create the 3-toed plantigrade paws Professor Darck walked on. My mother began breathing heavily, exhausted from all the changes. "Wow… That… was… a thing…"

"How eloquent, Ms. Kelvin." Professor Darck smiled. My mother stumbled back to her seat, her new tail dragging across the floor. "Tail up, Ms. Kelvin; don't scratch the tile."

My mom complied, looking at her tail with an expression of confusion and awe. "So this is how it feels…"

Kyu seemed extremely tired. She sat down, panting like a dog… or a fox, I guess. "Ms. Kelvin… do you… want me to… change you back…?"

"Dear, you look exhausted! No, I'm fine. I've always wanted to know what it's like anyway."

"If you… insist… …It'll wear off anyway…" She fell over unconscious. Halls looked thoroughly disgusted at the events that transpired.

"Now, Mr. Halls, can you please explain what in the world you hoped to accomplish with this?!" the judge inquired.

"Hmph. I figured if she couldn't do it, then he wouldn't have justification for not knowing his own strength."

"I am detecting a lot of personal bias in your accusations, Mr. Halls." My accuser looked away. "As your witness has fallen unconscious, I turn the time to Professor Darck. Have you any further evidence to support your case?"

"Yes, your honor." Flare and Matthew teleported in; Flare held a lot of heavy looking devices.

"Where the hell is he getting all these witnesses?!" Halls shouted. "How do we know they're even real rather than some complex demonic illusion he cooked up?!"

Matthew flew over to Mr. Halls, glaring at him with wide feline eyes… and poked him in the shoulder. He giggled. "See? I'm totally real! Bye bye!" He did a backflip in the air and teleported away.

"Furthermore, sir, I'm not technically a witness _per se_ as I did not witness the crime in question. Instead, I have brought a pressure plate to give an accurate representation of Eon's strength."

"Fine; get on with it." His smirk had long since disappeared.

Flare pulled a table up to the front, placing a steel plate on it. The plate was connected by a few wires to Flare's laptop. "Okay, Eon, strike this plate as softly as you can in the same manner as you struck the victim." I tapped the plate with the side of my hand like a karate chop. "Four pounds per square inch…" he muttered. His fluffy tail twitched. He spoke up, "That may smart a little, but it will by no means cause lasting injury. Now strike it with a restraining blow, as if you were to knock someone out." I attacked the plate once more, causing it to ring throughout the spacious hall. "Twenty pounds per square inch: more than enough to fracture a skull. Finally, I want you to strike the plate with as much force as you can muster; hold nothing back." He smiled. "Professor Darck promise to cover any expenses incurred by your wrath." I stifled a laugh. Gathering my focus, I moved my whole body in the motion Delphyn instructed me in to hit the plate with everything I had.

I cracked the plate in half. Then the table. Then the floor. Mr. Halls jumped back.

Kyu woke up. "Ugh, is Rhy practicing Earthquake again?" She realized where she was and stood up, a hand to her muzzle. She looked adorable like that. "What happened here?!"

Flare closed his laptop, cradling it along with the pieces of the shattered pressure plate."As you can see, your honor, Mr. Kelvin was restraining his assault by a large margin. It is my belief that the murder in question was by no means 'voluntary.'"

"The fact remains that you attacked us without precedent!" Mr. Halls shouted.

"Objection, Mr. Halls," Darck spoke politely. "I believe young Lotus had plenty of reason to attack you in self-defense. Kyu? Would you mind testifying for us again?"

"Of course, sir."

"Thank you. I summon Kyu Sol to the stand."

Kyu once more made her way up. "What happened on the day Jeremy Halls was killed? Be as detailed as possible, please." Darck inquired.

"Well, sir, Sidi, Eon, and I were hunting deer in Colorado when hunters shot our new friend, Saws. Saws stood up and told the hunters that he was a hybrid, not a deer, despite his appearance. However, Saws was only shot again, this time at his heart. Luckily, hybrids have a lot of fortitude, and he had healing abilities to boot, so the injury soon healed. The hunter who shot him started talking about how we were only game in his eyes, and it looked like he was going to attack us again if Sidi didn't sneak behind him and knock him out. Then this man," she pointed at Halls, glaring, "and his buddies continued the assault. Jeremy stopped firing to jeer at us, calling us less civilized than slugs or something. Oh, yeah, before that, Sidi told us to knock them out but not kill them, because you know, we were being _shot at_. So I guess Eon tried to knock out Jeremy, but killed him instead. He," Kyu pointed at Halls again, "threatened to murder Eon and his family… although in his defense I'd probably do the same if my brother was killed. Anyway, Eon got scared and ran behind a tree as the rest of us knocked out the hunters."

"Eon? Would you say that sounds accurate?"

"Yes, sir."

"And Mr. Halls?"

"Of course not! They're both making it up!

"Your honor, I would like to call attention to the fact that since Mr. Kelvin's arrest, he was unable to make contact with Miss Sol, so synchronizing such a tale would be a difficult feat. Furthermore, I can provide other witnesses should you wish to hear their testimonies."

"Very well; proceed, Professor Darck." The judge waved him on.

Saws and Sidi teleported in thanks to Vulcan. He took a moment to energize the two before teleporting out again. Sidi glared at Mr. Halls, causing him to stumble back in fear. Saws's red antler leaves had begun to fall off, and his fur appeared to have grown a little thicker since I last saw him.

"I call Saws Velvet to the stand," Darck spoke.

Saws made his way to the front where he swore the oath.

"Mr. Velvet," Professor Darck spoke, "can you recall the events on Friday during which Jeremy Halls was killed?"

"Yes, sir. I was sitting in the forest, guarding my flock when Kyu, Eon, and Sidi tried to eat them. I restrained them, warning them not to attack my animals. After they apologized for trying to hunt from my flock…"

"What animals were in your flock?"

"Well, deer, of course! Anyway, after they apologized, I got shot in the leg by a hunter. This was a somewhat common occurrence considering I did look like a deer, so I shrugged it off and healed it with my powers. But then when I stood up to tell the hunter I wasn't a deer, he shot me again!"

"And where were you shot the second time?"

"Right here," he said, pointing to the fluffy, white fur just above his heart. "So I healed it again. The hairless freak,"

"Mr. Velvet, I've already warned Mr. Halls: I will not stand for such slurs in my court," the judge interjected.

Saws sighed. "Sorry, your honor," he mumbled, looking a little indignant.

"Continue."

"So the… _hunter_ began yelling about how we were just game in his eyes, but then Sidi knocked him out from behind."

"If I may interrupt, Saws," Professor Darck said.

"Yes, Professor?"

"Sidi, how did you knock out this man?"

Sidi turned to face the professor with his intense gaze. "I struck a pressure point behind his ear. It was… easy."

"Thank you. Saws, proceed, if you will."

"Got it. After Sidi knock him unconscious, Eon, Kyu, and I were shot at by the other hunters, including this son of a-"

"Mr. Velvet…" the judge warned.

Saws inhaled and exhaled quickly. "Including Mr. Halls, here. Sidi told us to knock them out, but not kill them. Somebody told us that we were less civilized than slugs, and Eon killed him. Then…" Saws probably was about to insult Halls again, because he closed his muzzle before trying again. "Then this man threatened to kill Eon and started shooting at him; Eon freaked out and ran behind a tree, we knocked the rest of 'em out, and then we went to see Eon. I, uh, thanked him for doing what I never would, to which he told us he didn't mean to kill him. He seemed to be on the verge of tears, actually."

"That will suffice, Saws. Thank you," Darck interjected. He held up a stack of papers from his briefcase with psychic power. "These are the reports from the men's hospitalization. As you can see, they match up perfectly with my witnesses' testimonies." He caused the papers to float over to the judge, who removed his glasses to read them. "I see. Thank you, Professor Darck." He replaced his glasses to peer at Mr. Halls. "I noticed that you haven't called any witnesses of your own. Do you have any?"

Halls ducked his head. "Well… no…"

"Furthermore, you never mentioned having shot them in your own testimony. Do you still stand by it?"

"Fine, I admit it. We tried to shoot them. But it didn't matter! Those freaks of nature barely flinched when we tried to kill- I mean, tried to defend ourselves!" Judge Meese glared at him. Halls grew nervous. "_He killed my brother!_" he shouted. "Are you going to let that slide, you sorry excuse for a judge?!"

"Court rules in favor of Lotus Kelvin. Officer, detain Mr. Halls on charges of attempted murder in the second degree, verbal assault, and perjury." The officer cuffed the man. He struggled, trying to reach me.

"You're WHAT?! I didn't do anything wrong! _He's_ the guilty one! Let go of me, you self-righteous piece of-" Whatever he was about to say was muted out by the closing doors.

…Well technically I heard him with my sensitive vulpine ears, but you really don't want me to _repeat_ it, do you? I didn't think so.

"I'm so sorry to trouble you all. You're all free to go."

"Yes!" I shouted, jumping in the air and doing a flip, tails streaming behind me. That was so freaky. I was worried that I'd be hauled off to prison for who knows how long! I mean, if I got a life sentence…

Sidi nodded to the judge. "Thank you for your service."

Judge Meese smiled. "Why, you're quite welcome! Have a nice day!"

After we stepped out of the courthouse, Professor Darck teleported us back to the main plaza. Kyu muttered something about fixing her mane and ran off. "Um… professor?" I asked

"Yes, Eon?"

"How did you do all that?"

"How did I win the case, you mean?"

"Yes sir."

"Never underestimate a hybrid, especially when he has friends. First, I contacted Delphyn. He foresaw the trial and the defense Halls would use. As you saw, it was rather flimsy. Nevertheless, I followed up by organizing your friends, who were all more than happy to help me win the case. Flare provided scientific evidence, Matthew and Vulcan transported, and Kyu, Sidi, and Saws testified. I was never once worried."

"In fact, we were all just sitting in Matthew's room, waiting for Professor Darck to call us," Saws commented.

"You should feel very lucky to have such an amazing group of friends."

"I do, sir. I do. Wait- isn't involuntary manslaughter still a crime?"

"In my research, I learned that involuntary manslaughter is legally defined as killing another human through reckless behavior without the intent to kill. First, you were acting in self-defense; no one could expect you to just sit there and let them shoot you. Second, as I proved, you were far from reckless; you did your best to avoid unnecessary injury, even if it didn't work out that way."

"…Oh."

"I won't see an innocent student hauled off to jail. You all are far too important to me." I smiled.

Mom looked over her Lugia body. "You know, I could get used to this…"

Darck smiled and guided her off the plaza, one wing on her shoulder. Now it was just Sidi, Saws, Flare, and I.

"Thanks, guys. I couldn't have done it without you."

"Glad to help. Thanks for not eating my deer."

"I was merely a contingency plan, but I appreciate the compliment."

"I'm elated to have been of assistance! I was always certain those pressure pads would end up serving a valuable purpose." Flare's fur… well, flared out a little in pride.

Beaming at my friends, I bounded back to my dorm, ecstatic to be out of this mess. I nearly tore open Matthew's unlocked door. "I win! Woohoo!"

"Oh, thank goodness!" Vee exclaimed. "Of course, I always knew you would win." He blushed in embarrassment. He soon got over it. "Oh! I know just how to celebrate!"

"And how's that?"

"Video game party!"

"Oh, heck yes!" Matthew shouted. He teleported in and out, inviting everyone who had contributed to the court case- including Professor Darck and my currently-Lugia mom. It was soon overcrowded.

"I appreciate your enthusiasm, Matthew, but unfortunately I do not have time for your party. Running a school is rather difficult!" He teleported back along with Mom.

"Oh. Okay…" Matthew replied, ears falling back. Flare and Saws also made an exit, leaving Sidi, Matthew, Vee, me, Kyu, and Vulcan.

I passed out cans of Mountain Dew from the mini fridge to everyone. "A toast to amazing friends and a job well done: Thank you, everyone!" We all took a sip of the fizzy drink and started up Matthew's Wii U. Vulcan and Sidi offered to watch rather than play. (Or win, in Vulcan's case.)

After a few rounds of Super Smash Bros, Kyu tapped my shoulder. "Um… Eon?"

"Yes, Kyu?"

"Did you give a Dew to Vulcan?" The hybrid in question was literally _vibrating_ on a caffeinated rush.

I blinked, realizing my mistake. "Aw, crap."

* * *

**Author's Note: Well, I'm not too experienced writing court cases. I haven't actually played any of the Phoenix Wright games… I hope it was entertaining at the very least. Anyway, the next round of the tournament is coming up soon, so that's something to look forward to, at least.**


	16. Chapter 16- Another Last Teammate

Chapter 16- Another Last Teammate

* * *

That Wednesday, Delphyn had called the team to a meeting out on the training field for the next battle. "Well, this is going to be tough."

"We're up against Fire Storm," Blaze commented. I grew nervous. Fire Storm was predicted to be the winner of the tournament. Everyone remembered how quickly they took down Gaia Force; it put our little match to shame.

"That, and Hope talked to me yesterday; he… resigned."

"Hm…" Bracken stared at the sky, deep in thought.

"Well, that certainly complicates matters, does it not?" Exca spoke up.

"You saw what happened last time; it obviously hurt him too much to continue," I commented.

"Hurt him? He was taken out in but one painless attack!"

"I mean emotionally, Exca."

"Ah. That is right."

"So now we need to find our last teammate and fast! Again!"

"Are there any new students we could ask?" Blaze questioned.

"What about Saws?" I suggested.

"Already asked. He declined."

Exca's eyes widened. "I remember now! There is a new student who just arrived in my class of English! He said he wanted to fight in the tournament but I told him it had begun before. This will be a situation of win and win, yes?"

"Awesome!" Delphyn stood up, fur flaring. "What type is he?"

"Water-type, he said."

"Fantastic! I need to contact him right away!"

"Wait, Delphyn!" I asked. "Don't Water-types fight poorly in harsh sunlight?"

Delphyn looked at me with an excited grin. "Don't you remember Fire Storm's strategy?"

"…Fighting in the rain?" It was kind of terrifying to see the weather fall apart as they battled.

"Exactly! Now no matter what weather we're in, we'll have an advantage!" He began pacing, fluffy yellow tail wagging. "And their only answer to another Water-type is their Electric, so Exca can handle that… All right, as long as we can hold our own we should have the upper hand. Exca?"

"Yes, Delphyn?"

"How much has he trained?"

"Every day for almost nonstop! He said he wants to be the first for choosing in the next tournament in winter."

"Perfect! If you'll all excuse me…" He extracted his flaming branch from his sleeve fur. Sitting in a meditative pose, he gazed into the fire at the tip. He was obviously contacting our newest teammate.

After a minute or so, he blinked for the first time. He turned to Exca. "Thanks. He's on his way." I rested back against the grass. Delphyn kept looking towards the school, waiting for our new arrival. Bracken was breathing heavily. I sat up on my hands to see what he was doing… only to find out he was asleep, leafy ears catching the sun.

The sound of rushing water caused my ears to perk. I stood up to see the source: a jet of water was hurtling towards us. Inside the jet I could see a blurred image of an orange-furred hybrid. The hybrid tilted back to land feet first before us. The excess water from his entrance splashed over us. My fur steamed. The Water-type had soaked orange fur with a cream-colored belly; he did not wear a shirt. The reason for this became immediately apparent- a yellow, shiny tube snaked around his neck, down his torso on both sides, and wrapped around the small of his back. His two cream-tipped tails waved excitedly. Around his neck he wore a loose-fitting black collar with a silver bell on it, which chimed as he walked towards us. His muzzle was pointed and a little shorter than mine; two black stripes were prominent on each side of his cheek fur.

"Hey," he called. "I'm Xeian the Floatzel. It's nice to meet you all!" He wrapped his arms around the yellow tubing. His hands had blue fins protruding just below the wrist. Xeian took a breath, glancing away for just a moment before meeting Delphyn's eyes. He grinned. "I heard you needed a teammate; I'm glad to have been chosen."

The Delphox scratched his muzzle, contemplating the Water-type before him. "Good entrance; I can use that. What else have you learned?"

Xeian clutched his hand in a fist. Mist condensed around the hand as it froze solid. "I can punch with a fist of ice; my secret weapon against Grass-types."

"And Electric-types?"

He blinked. He ducked his head, grimacing. "Haven't gotten that far, yet."

"That's all right. We're a team for a reason: we complement each other. For example, Exca, our resident Ground/Steel-type can take care of all your Electric woes. We just need you to be you- a powerful Water-type. Can you do that?"

He jumped, punching the air with a frozen fist. "Of course!"

Blaze spoke up. "Why do you wear that tube?"

Xeian looked down at himself. "This?" he said, gesturing to the rubbery vest. "I was born with this. I'm not a _Float_zel for nothing you know." He breathed in, then appeared to exhale, except all the air went into the tube around him. "I use this for defense or for, well, floating."

"And the bell?" Bracken had woken up.

Xeian winced. He looked at the bell on his neck. "It's… it's calming…" he said quietly, pawing at the ringing bell. Nobody questioned him further.

"So what else do you know?" Delphyn pressed.

It soon became apparent that Xeian had done his homework: he knew how to summon torrents of water to douse his foes or to propel him to augment his attacks. He also knew how to focus his power into increasing his strength or agility; both useful tactics.

Delphyn grew excited; he immediately began instructing us in new combinations and tactics. "Okay, Eon, you'll go out first; summon intense sunlight to override their weather. If it's too hard, leave them be and switch to Xeian. Now, how's your Solar Beam coming?" Bracken had been training me to fire a concentrated beam of sunlight, which devastated Water-types. It was really hard not to convert it to fire like I do for all my other attacks; staying a beam of light was critical to faze my Water-type opponents. "Actually, how about you and Xeian spar? That'll give you both a chance to fight a typical opponent."

Xeian and I took positions opposite each other. Xeian made the first move, hurtling at me in a jet of water. He was too fast; I took the hit square in the chest. Stinging water soaked deep into my fur. Recovering, I raised my tails, causing the sunlight to intensify. This made it much easier to fire the Solar Beam. Xeian relaxed himself. Keeping my tails high, I gathered sunlight within myself and thrust my hands forward, letting loose a powerful jet of flames towards the Floatzel. _Dang it!_ I thought. Silver bell jingling, he ran with heightened speed around it and behind me as he prepared his own attack, summoning more and more water into a little ball between his hands. I turned to face him just in time to jump high in the air. Beneath me, the ball exploded into a torrent of water, soaking the ground beneath us.

"Remember," Bracken shouted as I landed. "Don't internalize it! Let it flow through you undeterred." I nodded. I had trouble with that step. I raised my tails once more. Xeian puffed up his inflatable vest, making him stronger and more defensive. He charged me once more in a jet of water. Once more, I tried channeling the sunlight through myself without letting it touch my internal fire. I released the energy… this time, as a beam of light that enveloped the Floatzel. He dropped to the ground, fur clearly scathed. _Yes!_ I thought. I was improving with the Grass-type attack.

"That'll do, you two," Delphyn instructed. "Eon, keep it up. Work on that Solar Beam, especially; you never know if you might be forced against a Water-type. Xeian, don't rush an opponent who's charging an attack. Heighten your speed to dodge it, instead."

Xeian looked despondent, though he quickly recovered. He looked to Delphyn with a forced expression, bell chiming as he moved. "Got it. I'll do better next time; I promise."

"I'm sure you will." Delphyn waxed on about various tactics and situations. We would be up against the combined might of Suicuna, Flare, Vapor, Ty, Electra, and Slash: Water, Fire, Water, Fire, Electric, and Dark/Ice, respectively. Exca would take on Electra, Bracken would fight Suicuna and Vapor, Blaze was delegated to Slash, Xeian to Flare and Ty, and Delphyn and I would be backup; my role was mostly to clear the clouds anyway. Fire Storm was known for their fast changing tactics; their strategy besides the basic rain strategy was to make it up on the spot, which Suicuna and Flare excelled at.

Delphyn spent a lot of his time thinking about how to counteract everything he could. We were all trained in moves to eliminate potential weaknesses, like my Solar Beam could take out a Water-type. Our leader seemed even more determined to win once again, pushing us harder and teaching us ever more complicated tactics. "Burn the field under their feet," he told Blaze once. "Then stay on it; only a Fire-type could reach you with getting flamed, which they would never use against you. If they attack from a distance, dodge the attacks and stall for time; the longer you fight, the faster you get. Keep up the fire beneath you as well as you can; if it rains or they use water, focus your energy on burning the field while still avoiding their attacks."

"Why is it so important to keep their field on fire?" Blaze questioned.

"Simple. It gives you time to stall while you speed up while also inflicting environmental damage every time they switch out."

"Isn't that Exca's job?"

"I appreciate this assistance, Blaze."

"All right, then. I'll try that."

Blaze opened his beak to speak again before Delphyn interjected. "And yes, once you're fast enough, go ahead and fight hand to hand." Blaze closed his beak with a satisfied smile.

Xeian sat a little ways off, pawing at his bell to make it ring. I walked over to him and sat down. "You okay?" I asked.

"I'm fine. Just a little nervous, is all. I've never fought in a tournament before."

I smiled. "This is my second time, actually."

"Really? I saw the footage of your fight; you were amazing!"

"Aw, come on! I barely won!"

"Still, you looked great out there." His excitement vanished as he returned to ringing the bell around his neck.

"Really; why do you wear that bell like a cat? You may look like an animal, but you don't need to dress like one."

"Because I like it, okay?!" he replied, yellow vest puffing up. His intensity surprised me. He sighed. "The ringing helps me to stay calm. And… is it really so bad to want to wear a collar? All the humans teased me about it, but I think it looks good on me." He looked at me out of the corner of his eye.

I massaged the inflated vest around his neck. That seemed to please him. "Sorry. I was only curious. If you like wearing it, go ahead. I won't tease you for it."

He smiled. "Thanks. I really appreciate that." He rang the bell once more. The pure, gentle note was rather soothing, I had to admit.

"Do people taunt you here?"

"They're more accepting, but they still don't like it. Hybrids give me funny looks when they see me." He rang the bell somberly. _He's lonely!_ I realized.

"Hey, you should meet my friends. I think they'll like you."

"Hmm… I don't know…"

"C'mon, it's worth a shot, right?"

"Well… fine, I'll meet them."

"Great! Meet me by the entrance to the dining hall at dinner tonight. I'll introduce you."

"Eon! Xeian! What are you doing?! We need to train!"

Xeian flinched. He grimaced, looking down; he seemed to be on the verge of tears. Bell chiming, he stood up. "Sorry, Delphyn! Be right there!" He took a deep breath, releasing the air in his vest before running to our leader. I followed him, tails waving in the wind.

Later that day as the sun sat halfway below the horizon, I stood with my back leaning against the wall by the tall entrance to the dining hall. The dark brown woodwork was complemented with a rich red carpet. I was no interior decorator, but I approved their choice of carpet; it felt nice under my paws. I scanned the bottlenecked crowd for the familiar crest of orange fur and chiming bell that signified my new friend's presence.

My ears pricked as I caught the sound of a pure, soft note. I sniffed the air, catching a whiff of river water mixed into Xeian's distinctive musk. Following my nose and ears, finding my orange-furred friend was simple. I tapped him on the shoulder beside his shiny vest. "Xeian, it's Eon!" I said.

He turned and smiled. "Oh, hey! I was looking for you." Despite his actions earlier, he carried an air of confidence now. He scratched the fur around his collar nonchalantly. "So, shall we meet your friends?"

"Follow me," I instructed. "And don't touch my tails!"

"Oh, I know," Xeian replied. I weaved through the crowd, tails pressed against my back to dissuade people from brushing against them. The Floatzel followed close behind. Once we made it through the initial bottleneck, we quickly made our way to our favorite table by the window; Matthew was already sitting there with his tail in the air, face buried in a bowl of cat food. A plate of chicken breast lay half-devoured beside it.

"Hey, Matthew?" I prompted.

The Mew stopped eating. His long tail twitched as he looked up to see me. He was beaming. "Hiya, Eon! Who's your friend?"

"I'm Xeian," the Floatzel identified. He clutched his rubbery vest in a relaxed pose. "Nice to meet you."

Matthew tilted his head. "You're wearing a collar?"

To my surprise, Xeian grinned and put a hand around it. "Yeah," he replied. "Looks good, right?"

"Looks good?" Matthew giggled. "It looks great! Hey, let me try it on!" He reached over the table, grabbing the tough fabric collar and trying to take it off.

"Hey, stop that!" Xeian said, surprised and a little distressed. His bell chimed as it swung about frantically. "Just let me hand it to you!" He pushed off the Mew, who floated above the table, tail lashing in excitement. Xeian reached behind him between his neck and his yellow vest. The collar gave a slight _click!_ as it came off, bell ringing. He handed it to Matthew who eagerly clipped it around his own neck. The Mew's slender build soon became apparent; what was loose-fitting on the bulkier Floatzel was gigantic on Matthew's thin frame.

The psychic cat hybrid pawed at the bell. "Wow…" he gushed, blue eyes wide. He giggled. "I feel just like a kitty! Hey, do you know where I can get one of these?"

Xeian was taken aback by his excitement. "I, uh, got it at PetSmart," he replied.

"PetSmart. Got it. Oh, here you go." He detached the collar and handed it back. Xeian fitted it back on himself, silver bell prominently displayed. "Okay, now, why do you wear that thing on your chest?"

"Oh, my floatation sac? I was born with it. I can inflate and deflate it to float or dive quickly; I am a Water-type, after all."

"Cool! How big can you get?"

Xeian blinked. Clearly he had never been asked this before.

"I said how big can you blow up your floatation vest thing?"

"I, um, can inflate it to like three times bigger than this, I think."

"Can you show me?" Matthew's tail wagged frantically in anticipation. Xeian shook himself, then shrugged more to himself than to us. He took a deep breath, emptying it directly from his lungs into his vest. The rubbery yellow tube swelled. Xeian did this several more times with increasing difficulty. By this point, his torso and part of his face was completely covered by the now enormous vest.

"I… don't want to go any further…" he said in a strained voice. It was clear holding in all the air was a struggle. "I've never popped the vest, but I'm not about to risk it," he explained. Matthew poked the taut rubber. "You're totally full!" he commented, laughing melodiously.

"Hey, Eon, hey Matthew- what the…?" Kyu had finally arrived.

Looking over his inflated vest, Xeian gave the Ninetales a somewhat embarrassed grin. He opened his muzzle. Air rushed out at a surprising rate as the vest deflated. Matthew's tail fell. "Aw… I liked you better that way," he complained.

"Kyu, meet Xeian. He, uh, has a floatation sac that he can inflate to float on; he's a Water-type by the way."

"So were you showing off, or…"

"Your friend asked me to inflate it as much as I could."

Kyu looked at Matthew with half a smile. "Did it hurt at all, Xeian?"

"Oh, no, I just felt very... tight."

"Okay, then." Kyu noticed the collar. She frowned. "Why are you wearing that?"

"I like it. I think it looks nice."

"Are you trying to make hybrids look even more like dumb animals?" Her tails fluffed out in anger.

"What? No!" Xeian's expression fell. "I just like wearing it! Is that a problem?"

"Yes, it's a problem!" Kyu shouted, the rest of her golden-white fur flaring up. Xeian's mouth quivered. "I hate it enough that many humans think we're as stupid as any other animal, but then hybrids like you decide to dress up like pets and further the stereotype!" Xeian squeezed his eyes shut, tears leaking out. Kyu stormed off. Matthew and I stood (or floated) there, shocked.

"What the heck, Kyu?" Matthew exclaimed before flying after her.

I sat beside Xeian on the padded bench. He cried softly. Like before, I massaged his vest behind his neck. "You're really sensitive about this," I whispered.

He sniffed. "Well, I'm really just sensitive in general. I don't like being criticized. It hurts. It hurts a lot…" His vest swelled defensively as he ducked his head. He pawed his bell, letting the sweet, prolonged note calm him.

I had to do something. "Hey, is there a food or dessert you really like here?" I queried.

He looked at me with red-tinged eyes. He gave a soft smile. "I really like the smoked salmon," he replied.

"And a drink?"

"Vanilla coke."

"Then give me just a moment." I made my way by scent, mentally sifting through the conflicting aromas until I found the stench of fish. I followed the trail to the seafood bar, where a kind hybrid gave me a couple of smoked salmon garnished with butter and some leaves I didn't recognize. I got a tray to carry the food before making my way to the soda fountain. I got a glass of Vanilla Coke for my friend and a Mountain Dew for myself, placing them on a tray. I carefully carried the tray back to our table where Xeian sat, looking down. Looking out the window that made up the wall behind him, night had fallen. Xeian's nose quivered on the end of his muzzle as he caught the scent of the fish. The Floatzel's tails waved back and forth excitedly as I delivered his food.

"Thanks a lot," he said. He ate the salmon in a more human way than I normally dined, using forks and knives and whatnot. I did the same.

"I never knew what I was missing out on; this stuff tastes great!" I complimented.

He turned to me, bell chiming. "You like it? Good, huh?"

"It's amazing."

The soft sound of swishing tails and claws clacking against tile caught my interest. I turned towards the sound: it was Kyu, looking rather guilty. Matthew floated behind her. I heard Xeian's tails wag nervously at her approach. "Hey, Xeian?" she asked. I noticed her ruby-colored eyes were bloodshot and puffy.

I made room for him to stand and face her. "Yes, Kyu?"

"I'd like to say that I'm sorry. See, when I was a little girl, these bullies at the school I went to would force a collar on me and treat me like a pet. I hated it, but they wouldn't stop. Sometimes they would drag me around on a leash." She smiled. "That's when I learned I could breathe fire." She clasped her hands together. "So I've always hated the idea of wearing a collar. You just triggered some bad memories; it's not your fault; please forgive me."

"Really? That's awful! Apology accepted. Just…" He looked away. "Please don't tease me about wearing it."

Kyu placed a hand on his shoulder. "Of course I won't. And you're right. It looks lovely." Xeian smiled. Kyu's stomach audibly growled. She smiled goofily. "I, uh, I should go get some food. I'll be right back!"

Matthew glided towards us. "I made her say sorry," he announced proudly.

"Um, well, thanks, Matthew." Xeian replied.

Before long, Kyu returned with a whole raw chicken. We all returned to our meals, Xeian and I with silverware, Matthew and Kyu scarfing down their meals with paws and teeth.

Matthew looked up from his poultry. "Hey, Xeian, aren't you ever worried about poking a hole in your vest with your fork or something?"

Xeian stopped eating. He swallowed as he cleaned his fork with a napkin. The Floatzel prodded his vest, the tongs of the fork indenting the rubber-like skin, but not piercing it. "It's pretty tough, I'd say. Are you ever worried about getting a cut? It'll just heal. Besides, I'd bet duct tape would work wonders if I ever spring a leak… which is why I always have a roll handy." We laughed.

"Well, at least you're prepared," Kyu commented even as she chuckled. Xeian rubbed the back of his vest in embarrassment, eliciting a squeaking noise.

We dropped off our dishes and left together. Kyu had to go back to the girls' dorm, but Matthew and I more or less invited ourselves over to Xeian's dorm.

"Are you sure? I mean, there's nothing really to see there," he dissuaded.

"C'mon, Xeian, we're friends now! We need to see your place!" Matthew insisted.

"All right, then; follow me," he guided. We walked down a few spacious hallways before coming to room 419. Xeian opened the unlocked door. Inside was a room very similar to mine and Matthew's, though he had rearranged some things to suit his needs. A fierce-looking hybrid sat at a desk, poring over a Mathematics textbook. The blue-furred hybrid had light-brown plating on his forearms, head, and shins, if the bumps on his lower legs were any indication. Spikes grew out of the plating.

"Hey, Sam," Xeian said.

The hybrid looked over. "Hello," he said emotionlessly before returning to his textbook. He began scratching in an equation on his paper.

"He's not one for talking," Xeian explained. He looked towards the bathroom before turning back to us, grinning. "Ever seen a Water-type's bathtub?"

Matthew's tail wagged.

"You've gotta see this," he insisted. He made his way to the bathroom, opening the door and ushering us in.

The large, lavishly decorated bathroom was the color of light cream. A door to the side led to the toilet, and a polished porcelain sink was inset into the back wall. In the middle of the spacious room was a gigantic, stone, circular depression ringed with jets about halfway in. It measured about eight feet across, leaving about three or four feet of tile around to walk on. "It's gigantic…" Matthew whispered in awe.

"It's tiny!" Xeian complained. "Seriously, it's nice to get wet and all, but I really just prefer swimming."

"Can we go in? I'll go get my swim trunks!" Without waiting for a response, Matthew teleported away.

"I'm fine," I commented. "I can't get wet anyway; it's part of being Fire-type."

"You can't?!" Xeian exclaimed. He began sniffing, black nose twitching. "You don't smell bad… although you do smell like smoke."

"Exactly- I directly bathe in fire, but that feels wonderful."

"Fire… feels 'wonderful'? I will have to disagree with you on that; nothing feels better than water's gentle caress on your fur."

"Better than tongues of flame curling around your limbs and hot air rising up to blanket you in warmth?"

"Yes. Definitely." I stared at him. He shrugged with a smile.

Matthew teleported back in wearing green, flowery swim trunks. "Found 'em!" He announced. "So how do we turn this thing on?"

Xeian jumped into the empty stone tub. He pulled a knob near the top and turned it halfway around. Steaming water poured into the basin from the twelve jets lining the sides. Within a few minutes it was full.

"So can I go in now?" Matthew pleaded.

Xeian gestured to the water. "Be my guest!"

Matthew backflipped into the water- an easy task when you can fly. Xeian stepped in a little more cautiously. I sat near the edge, but I didn't get my paws wet. "You sure you don't want to get in?" Xeian asked me.

"You sure you don't want to sit in a fire?"

"C'mon, it can't be that bad!"

"It is. Trust me. Here; I'll show you." I hesitantly dipped a paw in. The water steamed and hissed off my fur. I winced as it stung.

"…Oh."

"Yeah."

"Well, sorry. I wish you could join us."

"I'm fine! Just enjoy yourself; I need to groom my tails anyway." I swung my soft, fluffy tails around and ran my hands through them, pulling apart knots and straightening the hairs. I watched as Xeian inflated his vest enough for Matthew to sit on him like a raft. They were laughing.

One tail after the other fell prey to my grooming hands. I occasionally used my canine teeth to get rid of some of the tougher knots. Soon I had nine luxurious tails softer than any fabric I had ever felt. And they were mine and mine alone; there was no way I would let someone dirty them with unworthy hands.

"Hey, I just realized; how do you drink if you can't touch water?" Xeian pointed out.

"Ever drank frigidly cold water? It's like that, but colder."

"So even boiling water is too cold?"

"Boiling? No. But room temperature water is freezing."

"So what's your body temperature?"

I remembered checking once. "Around 160 degrees Fahrenheit."

"Jeez! That's hot!"

Matthew giggled.

* * *

Saturday morning arrived. I could distinctly hear the frantic heartbeats and swishing tails of each of my teammates... except the zen Bracken, of course.

Our match came first. There was no time to wait, but no time to worry, either.

"This is it, guys," Delphyn told us. "Whether we win or lose is okay, as long as we do our best. We've already had one spectacular win, and we're up against the toughest team in the tournament. So… relax. Stress will only cloud your judgment." He looked at each of us in turn. "Exca, you can practically turn the ground into a minefield. These past couple weeks have been your best yet." Exca ran his metal claws against one another. "Blaze, I have great conviction that you can pull off our plan. Make me proud." The flames on his wrists flared. "Xeian, you're new, but already you've earned your keep. Training beforehand was the best thing you could have possibly done, and that will definitely give us an advantage." He literally swelled with pride. "Bracken, as lazy as you act, you fight with grace and precision. In the sun, you have very few rivals. I believe in you." The Leafeon smiled serenely. "Eon, while you're not as new as Xeian, you're still new. Nevertheless, you have definitely shown your intrinsic skill with your victory last round. Better yet, you didn't let it go to your head and you trained just as hard as the rest of us. That Solar Beam will wreck them." I grinned.

The door to the arena opened. The roaring crowd was immediately audible. Delphyn clutched his black-furred hand into a fist. "It's time to show them the true might of the Oracle's Flame!"

** Author's Note: Cliffhanger! I hope to have Round Two up by Sunday. In other news, Pokémon Grey is running a little behind schedule. I'll make it up to you guys somehow.**


End file.
